Halloween Mushroom Hunt, Tullamore ,

                                                                                 

 
       
            HALLOWEEN MUSHROOM HUNT

       CHARLEVILLE CASTLE, TULLAMORE
  10-4pm SAT' 27th & SUN' 28TH OCTOBER 2012
     LEAD BY MEMBERS OF THE IRISH MYCOLOGISTS SOCIETY
Don't be Spooked by the Magical world of Mushrooms, let yourself be enchanted in the grounds of the Magnificent 'Charleville Castle' with all of it's Medieval Pageantry on display.

Shaggy Ink caps

 The Mushroom Hunt at Charleville Castle will focus on an exhibition
table in the amazing castle where labelled examples of the current
Irish fungus flora will be on display for all to see. 

There will be also be cooking and tastings of  mushrooms around lunchtime with Louis Smith, Chef lecturer at G.M.I.T and co author of 'Forest Fungi in Ireland' , Louis has an amazing passion for all the edible mushrooms and loves to share his knowledge, indeed I've learnt loads from him down through the years.

 Howard Fox, from the National Botanic Gardens will be on hand to
guide anyone to a species name using the mushroom's detailed
characters. Howard is an engaging character and brings years of experience gained through  his studies and forays, there's little he doesn't know about mushrooms and their part in the habit.

Last of the Trio and by no means least is Maria Cullen, an expert in the field of Lichen and again both edibles and non-edible mushrooms, Maria's the one to look out for on the day, she'll be leading the way.

Porcelain fungus

Bring your own specimens if you want to know what they are! one or two of each species will suffice.

Sadly I won't be there myself, but shall be in spirit! 

Many thanks to Bonnie and Dudley at Charleville Castle for hosting this event and previous ones in the past so well.

Honey Fungus

Wild Food Menu October 2012

                    Wild Food Menu

                   October 2012

                                        Wild Irish Game Terrine   (c)

                   Hedgerow Berry & Fruit Chutney, Sweet Chestnut Purée

                         Beetroot Cured Organic Salmon Tartar

                          ‘Kilbeg Dairies’ Quark & Sour-dough Toast

                                  Home-made Soup of the Day (c)

                         Roast ‘Kilmore Quay’ Fillet of Hake (c)

        Baked Razor Clams, Fennel Pollen, Sea Beet, Sea Radish & Dillisk

                     Crisp Pork Belly, Orchard Apple Wine Glaze 

                                      Spiced Pickled Cabbage

                             Pan-fried Breast of Mallard (c)

   Roast Jerusalem Artichokes, Rowan-berry Jelly, Aged Sherry & Sloe Jus

                       Home-made Local Wild Mushroom Gnocchi (v)

                       Baked in a Garlic Cream Sauce with ‘Regato’ Cheese

                      All Served with Mixed Market Vegetables & Potatoes 

                    Meadowsweet & Buttermilk Panna Cotta

                 Elderberry Compôte and Elderflower Caramel Biscuit

                               Wild Blackberry Bavarois,

                   Rose-hip Ice-cream, Poppy Petal Syrup

                          ‘Gubeen’ Irish Farmhouse cheese

                         Served with Oatcakes & a Quince jam

A run through of the Dishes in no particular order

I set the challenge for myself and the team at work to create a Wild Food Menu for the month of October, some of the stuff we've gathered has been kept in store for later use. 

This years weather patterns have given some shortages in normal supply, Elderberries are in short supply in the usual haunts.This led me into visiting the local Garda/police station for a forage having noticed their presence there before (on a passport visit I might add) I asked permission of course, though the desk sergeant was a little bemused, he gave me the go ahead and fine berries they were too growing in a walled environment amongst the long forgotten impounded cars. 
The Elderberries share the plate with Elderflower caramel biscuits as a compote cutting up the Meadowsweet and Buttermilk 'Pannacotta'.

Some of the dishes may not be totally wild in their ingredients or produce choice but have be chosen more for the nature of their happening as in the case of the Beetroot cured Salmon, Organic Salmon from the West coast of Ireland has been teamed up with organic beetroot from Wicklow, Quark from a small producer in Meath and Sour-dough bread from  'the Bretzel' a local Dublin bakery.

Some wild pickings are combined with others, the Hedgerow berry chutney includes haws (first boiled then sieved- no need for their pips and skins) blackberries, elderberries and what little of this years sloes and orchard fruits there are about. 

The sloes backing up the wild Irish Mallard dish are from last year and have been marinating in  pale sherry and sugar, they are kind of sweet, the Rowan-berry jelly made in the traditional manner with the addition of agar-agar which once set is reasonably heat stable and allows neat cubes to be cut for presentation of the dish add tartness to the richness of the dish, Jerusalem Artichokes are an allotment staple and just coming good this time of year.

Local wild mushrooms, need no introduction if you've read this 'blog' before, they are my passion at this time of year,the sauce with the Gnocchi usually includes,Yellow leg  chanterelles,Amethyst deceivers, hedgehog mushroom and various members of the bolete family.

Blackberries have been a hot topic for discussion and their lack of this year,I've had no problems with them  whenever I find a good spot two of us can pick the making of a couple of 'Bavarois' quite quickly. This plate is sweet, Rose-hips have been good and the Common poppy petals a delight to pick and process into a bright red syrup for drizzling.

On the sea shore there has been plenty and fennel growing wild near by, the fennel pollen is added to polenta and used to coat the Hake before frying,this both protects the fish and ensures an even spread of pollen as it is quite strong in flavour, this dish includes sea-beet, sea radish and various seaweeds all picked on Irish coastline .

Crisp Pork belly, apple wine glaze, spiced pickled cabbage,the cabbage is fermented 'Kim chi' style and  the glaze gets a start from a 10 year old apple wine added to crushed apples from this years harvest, from a neglected orchard I know.
'Gubeen' cheese needs no introduction as one of Ireland's best known farmhouse cheeses, and the 'Gubeen' brand is an inspiration to most of us involved in food, the Ferguson family work like this, Parents dairy Farmers produce the cheese, the whey from the milk is used by their son to feed his pigs he then makes charcuterie products often flavoured  with herbs from his sisters garden, neat. The oatcakes are our own,made with oats from the mill founded by one of our staff members Grandfather.

              

Hedgehog Mushrooms

A near perfect 'Fairy' of Hedgehog mushrooms

Hedgehog mushrooms, Hydnum repandum, Pied de mouton, or 'Juanyan chijun' in Pin-yin though don't ask me to repeat that one, I'll stick to the hedgehog tag.These are a great find as there is little to confuse them with in the woods.Though I did think my eyes were deceiving me as I spied a ring of them in the woods, as to me that's fairly uncommon, it's more normal for me to find them in little trooping patches.

They are great to eat, especially for slower cooking methods as they are fairly robust in the pan, when cooking them quickly slice them thinly.

Identifying. Hedgehog Mushrooms, Hydnum repandum.

Cap. Creamy white when young creamy yellow with age.

Stems. Short, stout

Gills/ Spines replace the gills on this one they are short creamy white when young, off white with age.
Taste/smell pleasant, slight hint of pepper and a little bitter with age.

Habitat. Beech pines, late summer to early winter.

Some quite large Hedgehogs.

Hedgehog Lasagne

Inspired by @mckennasguides  http://kitchenlifeskills.blogspot.ie/
In many ways I guess cooking's a bit like music, you can play by notes or play by ear, this one I'm playing by ear, Sally and John are lucky enough to have their patch of Hedgehogs and make a lasagne with them I haven't ate it or got their recipe,  but now that I've the luxury of having a good few 'Hedgehogs' about me that's what I'm going to do. It makes sense really; the texture of Hedgehog mushrooms allows them to be chopped in a mince like fashion and they hold their texture through cooking, the logic kicks in. Hopefully mine's as good as theirs,if you have your own family recipe just replace the meat with 'Hedgehogs'.

Typical lasagne recipe, using Mushrooms instead of meat.
 The ingredients.
227gms/1/2lb Hedgehog Mushroms, finely chopped just like mince (scrunching them up in your hand works fine too!)
1 small onion- this you'll have to dice finely
2 cloves garlic crushed
good pinch dried oregano
a good dash of Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
1 400gm/120z tin canned chopped tomatoes 
 400ml water (just use the can to measure)
olive oil for frying
8 0r 9 lasagne sheets
500ml or pint of your favourite white sauce/bechamel ( ratio 50gms butter/50gmsflour/500ml milk)
50gm/20z grated parmesan or mature Dubliner cheddar cheese, it's got that parmesan reggiano kick about it.

Method
Fry the onions and garlic lightly in a saucepan with a little olive oil when soft add your the contents of the tin/can of tomatoes add your Oregano, Worcestershire sauce, a teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper, bring to the boil then add the water to the contents of your saucepan bring it to the boil again reduce the heat and simmer to reduce the sauce to its original volume.
Fry the chopped/scrunched Hedgehog mushrooms in a large pan  for a couple of minutes with a little olive oil, seasoning  lightly with a little salt and pepper, either add to the saucepan of tomato sauce or vice versa depending on which will hold the volume, them cook for a further 8-10 mins on a low heat, checking the seasoning.
To layer up the lasagne ladle a 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of your dish, lay some sheets of lasagne on,repeat process topping off with a layer of lasagne sheets,pour the sauce on top.
 Bake in a moderate oven approximately 45 mins add the cheese return  to the oven for a further 10 mins until you get a satisfying golden crust on top.

Flaky Pastry

With all the fruit and fungi that are going to about in the next month or so I predict a lot of tarts and pies being made, Flaky pastry offers the sensation of Puff pastry with less of the hassle, it's handy to make and can be frozen down in batches,
For the recipe I'm going to turn to Gary Rhodes,a culinary hero from the Nineties, his book 'New British Classics' is loaded with all the Basic recipes you'll need backed up with where your food comes from notes, well worth looking it up and getting a copy, another book from the nineties worth getting your hands on for great recipes, stories of rural life in France, and wonderful photography is 'Memories of Gascony' by Pierre Koffmann which is republished at the moment.

Flaky Pastry
Ingredients.
150gms 11oz Butter, chilled
227gms 1lb plain flour
1/2 tspn Salt
120ml, approximately 4 fl oz cold water.

Method.
Cut the butter into small cubes (about the size of a sugar cube).
Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl add the water, and cut it in with a stiff blade, you'll still see pieces of butter showing.
Turn the pastry out on to a floured work surface and press or roll out into a rectangle shape approximately 45x15cm/ 18x6“.
Fold in the right hand one third and then fold in the left hand side over that, wrap pastry leave to rest for 20minutes.
Repeat this rolling and folding
process three more times in the same fashion, resting it for 20mins between each turn.

That's your pastry ready, there's enough to make one traditional sized pie or tart, or three open tarts, or folded pies.

To make a mushroom tart, Take 2/3 of your pastry, divide in two and rolled to fit your plate-keep it chilled and resting in the fridge until needed, 25gms/10z diced onion, 1 clove garlic crushed,250gms wild or cultivated mushrooms-thinly sliced, 25gms butter, 25gms grated parmesan, 25ml/1floz cream, salt and pepper to season.To a warm pan add the butter then fry the onions and garlic without colour until soft, add the mushrooms season lightly and cook until softened add the cream and bring to the boil, finally add the cheese, taste and adjust the seasoning and leave to cool before placing on the tart base then dampen the edges place the 2nd piece of pastry on top, bake in an oven at 180c/350f until golden brown.

Open Mushroom Tart

Folded Hedgehog Mushroom pie

To make a Fig tart, 4-5 Black figs and a third of the pastry rolled into a rectangle approximately 12''X4'',place the pastry onto a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper, make a incision 1/2'' for each of the length edges without cutting all the way through. Slice your figs into neat rounds dust with icing/powdered sugar then lay them onto the centre of your tart overlapping them neatly, bake in a hot oven at 180c/350f until golden brown.

Fig Tart

Ceps,Porcini, bragging rights.

Boletus edulis, aka; Ceps, Porcini,Borowik, Steinpilz or in plain English 'pennybuns' are top of the list on forays and a good find always earns bragging rights amongst foragers much in the the way a fish does amongst fishermen and in fungi land there's also 'the one that got away!' deemed as too old or over munched by slugs and others in the woods, recounted with dismay.

A Cep in it's prime is a worthy prize or reward for the eager hunter, when you find one that is perfect in condition, no bites, no slugs lurking under the cap,it feels good, dense with a powerful mushroom aroma. this is the mushroom that is sought after most for commercial picking, dried it's flavour is intense yet refined yielding up extra 'umami' lifting the taste taste of soups,stews and sauces throughout winter. Check the ingredient listing on a packet of mushroom soup in the supermarket it usually gets a percentage mention.

Some years are better than others for mushrooms and mushrooms appear in different areas at different times, it means patrolling your spots and getting to know when they produce best, because 'it rained yesterday after a few warm days' doesn't necessarily mean your going to get a mushroom, they're a bit too moody for convention.

What to observe.

the cap. Brown

the tubes/gills. White, creamy, yellow turning olive green with age.

the stem/stipe. Thick,rotund, Light brown white with a reticulate{mesh like ridges} surface on the lower half.

the flesh. Firm and white.

the smell. Mushroom.

the habitat. Spruce ,pine, larch forest, Beech woods and with Oak.

after they've been growing in a dry spell and get a good soaking they explode!

Add caption

always nice to weigh them in  '44gms and perfect shape' 

'hung out to dry'

  

Bay bolete, Xerocomus badius

A personnel favourite, and would put it up there with the cep, the taste is great but the main reason I favour it is that it suffers much much less from larvae infestation and slug attacks, the squirrels have a taste for it though so there will be a few bite marks about.

What to observe.

the cap.chestnut brown and smooth,suede like when young, grows up to 10-12cm

the tubes. off white,yellow to green with age.

the stem. pale brown-reddish,thin often curved at the base and can be quite long.

the flesh. whitish flesh turning slightly blue when cut.

the taste/smell. mushroomy,nutty.

the habitat.coniferous spruce and pine forest.

A young Baybolete,with soft cap.

Note; the cap has actually exploded of this one, after a spell of

dry weather, followed by heavy rain the soakage of water

causes the stems of some bolete (which are quite tough) to split where they meet the cap, popping it off.

One with an elongated stem

having grown through moss.

Phallus impudicus, Stinkhorn

Most often you'll smell these before you see them, they grow in all types of woodland settings and where you have them they'll be in abundance. They are edible ( tasted mossy) but only in the first stage of growth once they start to mature stay clear.They start out like an egg covered in a mucus and membrane before developing to their phallic state, there are a couple of varieties,including the Dictyophora duplicata ( Netted Stinkhorn) though restricted to the Southern Hemisphere with a net like veil below the cap and the Mutinus caninus (Dog Stinkhorn) pinkcapped.

Enough said the pictures will do.

the edible stage, to eat clean off the membrane and the gel like mucus, slice and pan fry

starting to mature, no smell yet

mature, at this stage they start to stink and attract the flies

past it's personnel best,

though a good time to observe it's honeycomb structure