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Fall is on the way and that means...

MUSHROOMS!

One of the best mushrooms you’ll ever see grows all over the place, and after fall rains is the best time to find them. Unfortunately I can’t find a good spot around here where any good number grow, I only find one or two here and there, rarely enough for mushroom omelets...

I’m talking about the Meadow Mushroom, Agaricus Campestris.

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/meadow_mushroom.htm

Not hard to identify, and not many it can be confused with once you know what to look for. Gills are pencil eraser pink when it’s young, mostly white or sometimes a bit brownish, often grows in groups. Like I said, around here I rarely find groups though. I’m not happy...Gills turn brown later on when mature.

Watch out for the Amanitas. Some of the most deadly mushrooms around are in the Amanita family. Fortunately most are not likely to be confused with Agaricus, which is a close relative of the mushroom sold in grocery stores.

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/amanita.html

The one sold in grocery stores is Agaricus Bisporus, identical to the Meadow Mushroom, except for a microscopic difference. This takes a little explaining...

Mushrooms grow by way of spores, produced in a small sac that hangs from the gills called a Basidium. Agaricus Bisporus, sold in grocery stores, contains two spores in each basidium, Agaricus Campestris contains 4 in each. Otherwise they are identical, and the wild variety tastes better. The gills turn brown later in life as the spores ripen, the mushroom is still edible.

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/agaricus_bisporus.html

The Horse Mushroom, Agaricus Arvensis, is very similar, edible and also very good. And found in very similar locations to the meadow Mushroom.

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/agaricus_arvensis.html

Puffballs - Yes puffballs. Easiest ones in existence to ID. Here’s what my mushroom book says:

If it’s white inside and does not stink, the puffball is edible.

That’s an exact quote from my book with instructions on how to ID over 500 varieties of mushrooms. Many require a microscope and lab chemicals I don’t have, so I can only ID a few. But puffballs are super easy. If you’re already familiar with puffballs, you’re halfway there.

To be sure:

Slice a puffball vertically. You need it sliced anyway. If you see the shape of a stem and mushroom gills inside, it’s a button mushroom that hasn’t opened up yet, don’t even think about it, throw it away. I don’t see this often, I think twice in 30 years of collecting wild mushrooms.

If it’s a solid mass inside, it’s a puffball. If it’s white and doesn’t smell bad, it’s edible. The edible ones have an earthy smell.

http://www.mssf.org/cookbook/puffballs.html

Giant puffball

http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Mushrooms.Folder/Giant%20Puffball.html

I’ve found these the size of soccer balls before.

http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Mushrooms.Folder/Giant%20Puffball.html

Toward the bottom of that last page is a brown puffball. I find similar ones around here the size of softballs. We got some rain yesterday, I’ll be looking tomorrow but I don’t think it’s cool enough yet.

Puffballs are CHOICE as far as edible mushrooms go, excellent eating. If you like table mushrooms, start looking for puffballs. They’re my favorites.

To cook -

Cut off base. Rinse in cold water, place on a paper towel to dry.

Slice vertically, about 1/4 inch thick. Peel off the outer covering, which is usually leathery. Saute in butter until slightly brown, flip and do other side. Eat.

Can also be used in an omelet after cooking. Or anything else you would normally use mushrooms for.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Any edible mushroom about 2 inches diameter will work for this.

Rinse and allow to dry. Break off stems, and cut into small pieces.

Saute a few shrimp, or fry up s few slices of bacon. Or both. Break up bacon, chop shrimp into small pieces. (I’m sure other things will work, lobster, crawfish, ham, turkey, chicken, even lunchmeats, just chop it up fine.) Shrimp is the cat’s meow though...

Chop up a clove or three of garlic. After the shrimp and/or bacon is done, saute the chopped mushroom stems, drop the garlic in last and give it maybe two minutes.

Place mushroom caps upside down in a pan to bake, I use a 8 inch glass brownie pan. Mix filling ingredients well, fill each cap with that, then sprinkle cheese liberally on top of it all. I use the Italian cheese blend available at grocery stores, Cheddar or Swiss will work too.

Bake at 350ºF until cheese browns. Usually about 10 minutes or so, max.