Dear Friends of River Cottage,
As is witnessed by the terrific response we have had to 'The Great Mushroom Hunt' the mushroom season is well and truly with us. Mother Nature has, yet again, seen fit to swap summer and autumn but still the fungi are coming up and there is much to be found even though they may take a little more searching out than usual. Remember that edge habitats are often the best places to look for fungi so simply walking along a country lane next to a wood often bears more fruit than inside the wood itself. Let us hope that the rains will return shortly (no, really!) and that the season lasts well into November. There have been two very sad incidents with people being poisoned this year. In both cases I am afraid that it was complete lack of caution that led to disaster. I always maintain that anyone who thinks about what he, or she, picks and checks it out in their books - and I am sure you all do - will never be in danger. It is the people who don't worry that I worry about! I was out picking the other day and the second commonest fungus was the Death Cap. I have never seen so many in one year so do learn what it looks like; you stand a better than normal chance of coming across one. I had a great day on Saturday picking Chanterelle from my favourite patch (it has been producing them continuously since early July!) together with those other safe and easy mainstays, Trumpet Chanterelle and Hedgehog Mushrooms. Best of all was something I did not find myself - my good friends Thierry and Lynn brought me and Hugh a massive collection of Horn of Plenty when they came to the River Cottage Members' Party. I am looking after Hugh's share for the moment and must remember to give them to him. Which reminds me, my Truffle hunting expedition the other day was a sad failure but another River Cottage friend, Ben, sent me a picture of a Truffle his neighbour had found and given to him. I have asked Ben to forward it to me so that I can verify that it is a true Tuber aestivum. Well you never know, he might. Happy hunting, John |
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