Though mushroom season....

Though mushroom season appears to be winding down, it is hard to let go, and there are still many around to appreciate- none more so than boletes! The bolete family, which comprises hundreds of species . . . is easily recognizable because the underside has a spongy pore layer rather than gills. And there are many boletes out there worth getting to know.

The estimable 'Mushroom Jim', who graces Royal Roads with the inspired Can I Eat that Mushroom course every fall, distills his considerable bolete wisdom thus: "Timing is everything. It may well be that there is only a part of one day that any bolete or bolete patch is truly at its peak". Indeed. Though it varies by region and by species, wiley harvesters have come up with a variety of climatic cues to tip them off to this peak- three weeks after the first rain; or two weeks after an inch of rain has accumulated. Many boletes are prone to parasites and may quickly rot once they are past their prime, prompting some harvesters to collect early in the morning ("before the insects wake up").

It is certainly not too late to find young fat jacks (Suillus caerulescens / ponderosus, not to be confused with matte jacks, slim jacks, or tamarack jacks), which are still popping up amongst the fir trees on Royal Roads grounds. If the slippery (when wet) top doesn't deter you, they can make fine eating, though they don't quite attract the rave reviews of some of their relatives. Fat jacks have golden-tan caps and a yellow sponge layer. Some boletes will stain a blue or green colour when you scratch their spongy surface; this species does not, though if you cut the base of the stalk it may gradually develop a green hue.

The king bolete (Boletus edulis) is one of the most sought after mushrooms worldwide- "delectable... no mushroom is more substantial or satisfying!" states David Arora, fungal authority extraordinaire. The king has a yellow-to red-to brown cap atop a thick white or brown stalk, and grows individually or in small clumps on the ground in coniferous forests. This species is also known as porcini, because it is 'plump as a little pig'. As one of the official weighers at the Bamfield Mushroom Festival's biggest-bolete competition, I got to admire and handle many of these (all-too-often rotting) kings, and the prize-winner was just shy of three pounds! Not just a hearty meal, king boletes are immuno-stimulating and contain lots of vitamin B, and thereby help to maintain a balanced nervous system. There is also, by the way, a Queen bolete (B. aereus) which has a darker cap when young and grows more commonly among hardwoods in states to the south. Its flavour is preferred over the king by some, but dismissed as bland by others.

Admirable boletes (B. mirabilis) are another gem- they are a respectably sized maroon mushroom with a yellow pore layer, an affinity for hemlock trees, and a lemony flavour.Then there are the birch and aspen boletes, Leccinium scabrum & L. insigne, described as tasty and as excellent respectively. There are also the 'wonderfully dense' butter boletes (B.appendiculatus), and we're just gettign started.

It must be explicitly stated though, that not all boletes are edible. Satan's bolete (B. satanas) is a species best enjoyed from a distance; it has a red sponge layer that stains blue when scratched (if that's not the work of the devil...) and causes severe gastro-intestinal distress. It has never been recorded to cause death though, which cannot be said of the red-pored bolete (B. pulcherrimus), a reddish brown specimen which also grows amongst conifers in British Columbia.

Back to the ones we like to eat though- all of them have high moisture content, so dry-sauteeing them (cooking them without any grease at high heat until they give off water) is a good way to concentrate their flavour. The sponge layer is particularly damp, and some people do away with it altogether (leaving this part it in the forest can both increase the mushroom's reproductive potential and reduce the sliminess of your harvest). Some connoisseurs find this to be the most flavourful part though, and dry it for use in soup stocks.

This recipe is from "Wildman" Steve Brill, who claims that you'll find it difficult to conceive that food can taste so good:

Recipe: Broiled boletes (fit for a king!)

1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbsp. chili paste or 3/4 tsp. cayenne hot pepper
4 cloves garlic
2 tsp. mellow miso
1 tsp. rosemary, ground
1/2 tsp. thyme, ground
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. juniper berries, ground (optional)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
10 cups king bolete, other choice bolete caps, or other mushrooms

Puree all ingredients except the mushroom caps in a blender and toss with the mushroom caps. Broil on a rack in a broiler 4-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Broilers differ greatly, so check often to make sure the boletes don’t begin to burn. Turn with a spatula, tongs, or fork and broil 4-8 minutes, or until you’ve lightly browned the other side.

Caution: Never, ever, harvest, serve, or eat any mushroom without being certain of the species and its edibility. King boletes can accumulate cadmium, copper, lead, and mercury, so make sure to choose clean harvesting sites.

Peace!

November 5, 2009

The Peace Globe Gallery

To find peace one must be at peace with themselves
To find peace there should be no conflict that can involves violence
To find peace there should always be a solution to solve a problem
To find peace there should always be kindness
To find peace one must desire peace
To have peace in the world one must strive hard in order to achieve peace
With peace there should be no more violence, anger, hatred, war, families torn apart, and anguish
With peace there will be unity, families are together, love is in the air, happiness is all around the world, and in our hearts as well

~Jeffrey Liminsang

Stay Tuned

Samhain

The very soul of the Pacific Northwest...

There is a special place in the hearts of west coast residents for the arbutus tree (Arbutus menziesii). Its crooked demeanor, peeling limbs, and manner of taking root in rocky bluffs while reaching twisted branches to the sea . . . seem to capture the spirit of this place and provoke the creative impulse. Countless paintings, poems, and photographs, as well as books, plays, and theses have been inspired by the arbutus. "It's not just a tree” says broadcaster Ketzel Levine, one of many who wax eloquent, “it's a sentient creature with curative powers that are drawn from the very soul of the Pacific Northwest".

Arbutus is the only broadleaf evergreen tree native to Canada, and its next of kin include other cherished locals salal and huckleberry. It is particular about where it grows- rarely more than 8 km away from, or 300 m above, the sea. In Canada the arbutus is limited to extreme southwestern British Columbia but its range stretches down the Pacific coast to California, where it is called the madrone. It is claimed that one of the biggest arbutus trees alive, boasting a spread of 23.8 m, grows close by on Esquimalt Lagoon.

While gardeners may bestow them with love and attention only to lament their vulnerability to various fungal ailments, in the wild these trees prefer harsh conditions- dry rocky sites with full exposure to sun and wind are characteristic. Unfortunately humans desire these same areas for homes and businesses, and many are concerned over the arbutus tree's fate in the face of habitat loss.

Bees and hummingbirds are attracted to the clusters of fragrant white flowers, and its orange-red berries are a favourite food of songbirds, mice and deer. Though astringent, they have been eaten by First Nations People after roasting or steaming, and have been made into jellies and sweet cider, which was said to create an appetite.

Medicinal uses of arbutus have included making an infusion of the bark and leaves to treat bladder infections, stomachaches, or cramps; this was also given to horses with sore backs. Traditionally, fresh leaves were chewed to treat colds and sore throats; these days, pharmaceutical companies are churning out studies on the antibacterial properties of these same leaves. An infusion of the bark has been used to soften skin and enhance its luster. Fresh leaves were applied to burns, while dried ones were smoked as tobacco. The berries continue to be used in jewelry and decorations, and beautiful artisan crafts are created out of the hard wood, which has an impressive range of colours and textures. Many comment on the wood's superior burning- hot and slow- but such a commonplace use of this iconic tree does not sit well with most.

Not surprisingly, the arbutus has a prominent place in Pacific Northwest myths and lore. A Straights Salish story recounts how an arbutus atop Mount Newton (near Sidney) was used by survivors of the Great Flood to anchor their canoe. Another traditional belief held that it was best for people to avoid touching the tree, otherwise their luck might "peel off" like the bark. Yet another Aboriginal account holds that should the arbutus ever disappear, the planet will fly apart and be utterly destroyed.

In lieu of a recipe for this week's non-timber species (though some do make jam from a European variety of the tree), an offering from local poet Richard Olafson, from the book In Arbutus Light (Ekstasis, 1989)

In Arbutus Light- An Arbutus Triptych

O ARBUTUS!

Arbutus in autumn,
Sacred boughs wet with rain
Whose webbed roots hold
The splintered earth together,
Stone cracks open
When wooded muscles
Stretch to the sea.

Arbutus by the shore
Rise and sing tonight,
In light shining
Off the sea
Rant in silence at the water
Of the world.

Harvest Moon

What's it mean for you?



or

Salad from the Sea!

Yes, the forests are still busy popping up mushrooms these days, making people such as ourselves driven and giddy, but let's pause for a moment and expand our horizons to consider the wonderful resources present in the sea. What better excuse to head out in a kayak (as if one is needed!) than to harvest some of the many local seaweeds that enhance our meals, medicines, body care and general joie-de-vivre?

I did just that recently, and came home with some sea lettuce (Ulva latuca), a beautiful emerald-green seaweed with thin translucent leaves that span 20-40 cm across and have ruffed edges. It can be free-floating or grow attached to substrates, but does not have a true rooting system. Sea lettuce is often found in shallow water, near exposed rocks and stagnant tide pools. It is quite tolerant of high levels of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, so large volumes of it could be indicative of potentially polluted waters (thus making it incumbent on harvesters to only harvest in areas that known to be relatively clean and well away from contaminant outflows).

Sea lettuce has been enjoyed throughout the world for many centuries- raw, dried, or roasted; in salads, soups, or stews. It can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days, or frozen for up to 6 months without losing flavour. It is said to be high in protein, vitamins, minerals (notably iron), and fibre, and the term "super-food" has been associated with it more than once. After his first bite of sea lettuce-pesto, my harvesting companion, who had been yawning and ready for a post-kayak nap, declared rather uncharacteristically that his body felt abnormally full of energy and vitality.

Due perhaps to its antibacterial properties sea lettuce has been used to treat burns and as a base for body cleansers; it has been fed to livestock in many countries; has been gathered to use as packing material for "more precious" edible seaweeds and fish; and it makes a nice (and aromatic!) garden mulch.

Sea lettuce is not always associated with all-things-good however; in areas with wastewater or high nutrient loading there are instances where the algae has grown out of control, depleting oxygen and forming mats that choke out other aquatic organisms. If very large amounts wash up on the beach the rotting process can be not only smelly but dangerous- hydrogen sulphide gases build up under a crust of algae. There have been cases of people losing consciousness from these fumes, as happened this summer along a French beach plagued by high levels of agricultural run-off.

Such problems are not specific to this species of algae, and they are certainly a dire warning against over-taxing our aquatic and marine systems with pollutants. They are not, however, any reason to avoid digging into a lovely roasted sea lettuce salad (harvested from clean waters of-course):

Recipe: Roasted sea lettuce salad
6 tomatoes
1 avocado
10 gr dried sea lettuce
1 lemon
4 Tbsp olive oil
salt (to taste)

Roast the dried sea lettuce in a hot oven for 30 seconds or so, just until it becomes crispy (careful, it burns easily!). Chop the tomato and mix it with the avacado and sea lettuce, and stir in the lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Itadakimasu!

Caution: Sea lettuce is tolerant of high levels of nitrogen and phosphates, and can thus grow in areas that are polluted; make sure that your source is coming from water that is relatively clean. Luckily for sea vegetable harvesters, there are no poisonous look-alikes to popular edible species (though if you're in the tropics, avoid blue-green algae finer than a human hair).