Since the Chanterelle picking was so good last Friday afternoon I decided to head out again before cold and frost end the mushroom season. I brought along my friend and colleague Claudia Howell. Claudia is an artist and holds a day job as a photography editor at The Oregonian. Claudia has a neat newish series of photographs called “gutter galaxies,” and gave Michelle and me a print from the series as a wedding present. Thank you again!
Our objective was to pick as many mushrooms as possible and not get horribly lost walking in the woods. These before and after pictures show the success of our first foray.
Needless to say we were stoked! And we kept finding more…
You can’t pick wild mushrooms without thinking about how you’re going to cook and eat them. At least I can’t! Claudia’s plan was to make a Chanterelle & filbert pÂté among other things while mine was to make a shallot, butter and chicken broth sauce with fusilli. Claudia’s stash weighed 8 lbs. after she thew out nearly a pound of overly soggy or fibrous mushrooms. Together we probably picked 20 lbs of Chanterelles! To find, harvest and cook your own wild food satisfies me to no end.
I do love the fungus among us! Thanks for sharing your harvest with me. Did you know the chantrelle is our official state mushroom?
House Joint Resolution 68 – Oregon Laws 1999
Session Law
Whereas the State of Oregon is internationally renowned for producing an abundance of wild, edible fungi of high culinary value; and
Whereas the Pacific golden chanterelle is unique to the Pacific Northwest and found in prodigious quantities in Oregon; and
Whereas the Pacific golden chanterelle is coveted for its culinary, nutritional and medicinal value; and
Whereas the more than 500,000 pounds of Pacific golden chanterelles harvested annually represent a large portion of Oregon’s commercial mushroom business; and
Whereas most of the Pacific golden chanterelles are exported to foreign markets; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon:
That the Pacific golden chanterelle (Cantharellus formosus) is recognized as and hereby is designated to be the official mushroom of the State of Oregon.
Filed in the office of Secretary of State July 2, 1999
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom Fungi –
Phylum: Basidiomycota
Class: Gasteromycetes
Order: Cantharellales
Family: Cantharellaceae
Genus: Cantharellus
SpeciesCanthrellusformosus
Mmmmm, Chanterelles. ;)
Hey,
Awesome photos. I’m a native portlander who relocated out to Estacada 1 year ago. I want to try and make better use of the local forest. My wife and I went out yesterday and, although we saw a lot of different mushrooms, we found nothing that looked edible.
I make hard cider and would gladly exchange some for any advice you could give me on how to find chanterelles.
Thanks,
Nick
nick capri 503 490 4383