OCTOBER 19, 2017 // 9
CLOSE TO HOME
Stalking the
wild mushroom
By DAVID CAMPICHE
FOR COAST WEEKEND
W
ay back when, reading “The Lord of the
Rings” to my three children, I came across an
early chapter when the four hobbits, on the run
from the diabolical ring wraiths, stumble upon a mush-
room patch, abscond with the lovely morsels, and quick-
ly prepare a rabbit stew with their bounty. No matter that
evil was on their trail, their stomachs ruled the day.
I suppose, if you’re about to be subjugated by evil
forces, you might as well get a lick in and eat a batch
of the edible fungi fi rst. It may just be your last divine
moment.
Please, I’m not suggesting that if you are outrunning
a freak wave, you should dally and prepare such a meal,
but you might reach down, grab a few fungi on the run
and prepare them later, while sitting atop a tall dry hill
— assuming, of course, you have brought along butter
and cream and maybe a splash of Armagnac.
Varieties galore
Maybe those mushrooms were Agaricus campestris,
the “meadow mushroom.” Maybe fairy ring mush-
rooms. Maybe others — man on horseback, deliciosos,
porcini. There are dozens if not hundreds of varieties
scattered across North America (and The Shire). There
are hundreds in Pacifi c and Clatsop counties.
The meadow mushroom — 10 centimeters wide,
convex, white to creamy in color with a dry smooth
cap — loves cow fi elds and smooth grassy yards. Picked
young before they turn dark brown under the cap, they
sauté into delectables perfect in stews, omelets, pastas
and, well, darn near any earthly concoction that enters a
sauté pan.
Those young hobbits were smart creatures, in love
with fi ne country cuisine. Here, in Pacifi c and Clatsop
counties, a plethora of the stemmed fungi dominates
forests, fi elds and backyards during the fall. They love a
moist warm climate, normally September, October and
early November. Recent bouts of drought have post-
poned this sprouting pattern, but hope lives in the minds
and hearts of truly addicted mycologists.
Continued on Page 22
PHOTO BY LAURIE ANDERSON
Though growers have met with some success in culti-
vating oyster mushrooms, it remains a celebrated fi nd
to stumble upon them in the wild.