Off Season Adventures - Sourdough

Winter is fast approaching. The thermometer has dropped into the lower teens°F on and off for a couple weeks now. Hopes are dwindling for finding desirable mushrooms in the chilly outdoors. (Although, finding polypores to grind into powder for making tea is always a prospect, even in the dead of winter.) So, what is a mushroom nut to do in the off season?

I decided to have a go at making sourdough bread. Online discussions and research reveal limitless techniques and recipes. The first hurdle is to get a good starter going. You can beg, borrow or steal healthy starters from other breadheads, and this is undoubtedly the surest bet. But, not being one to listen to reason I decided to make a stab at starting my own starter.

Sourdough starter, as I understand it, is a live culture of both yeast and bacteria coexisting symbiotically in a nutritious medium of flour and water.The bacteria produce lactic acid giving sourdough its characteristic tangy taste, while the yeast do the leavening, allowing the dough to rise during baking. Without inoculation using a proven starter, you depend on the indigenous yeasts and bacteria floating around your native environment to do the inoculating. Although not a mushroom, yeasts are fungi, and so I think they are fair game for this blog.

My own particular environment is far from sterile. We live in the forest, and use wood from our yard to fire the woodstove for heat in the winter. There is no air filtration as with central air-conditioning or heating. I assume there are countless bacteria just waiting to feed off a floury broth. Yeasts too must be plentiful, but in this case I decided to include a wild persimmon to provide an indigenous yeast inoculant for the starter. As this is an experiment, good results are just speculation as of now.

Here's a photo of the persimmon showing a whitish "bloom" on the skin. Supposedly, native yeasts can be found adhering to this thin layer.

Wild persimmon showing whitish bloom

Small pieces were cut from the persimmon and included in the starter, which consisted 1/2 cup organic dark rye flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, and 1 cup spring water. My hope is the small pieces of wild persimmon will act as islands of yeast populations from which a diaspora of yeast emigrants will depart their homeland to populate the sea of floury broth in which they now find themselves.

Here's the sourdough starter after the third day. It doesn't look very active, only a few bubbles. The aroma is good, smells of sweet wheat flour and slightly sour. The taste is definitely sour. On the 2nd and 3rd day, half the starter was discarded and replaced with fresh whole wheat and rye flour and water. The starter is in a covered bowl sitting over on the side of the fireplace hearth for warmth.

Sourdough starter

Ok, it's been a week since the starter got started, and it's really showing some action. There are many, many bubbles, and an aroma that is heady and good. The volume of the starter seems to expand after a fresh flour addition. Flour additions have been switched over to all-purpose white flour, but you can still see some of the rye and whole wheat flour in the starter. I ordered a 10.5" round proofing basket, and a 9" baking stone that will fit comfortably in the dutch oven. These haven't arrived yet. Here's the starter.

One week old sourdough starter from scratch

Late Season - Oysters, not On the Beach

One of the common, dependable and tasty fall mushrooms is the Oyster, Pleurotus ostreatus. After a heavy rain, large clusters of Oyster almost explode out of dead trees, either fallen or still standing. Most often I find them on dead or injured Tulip Poplar trees. These however look to be growing from a felled and sawed oak.

This cluster and individual mushrooms were so large they were easily visible from dozens of yards away. White spores (characteristic of Pleurotus) can be seen dusting the leaves on the ground.

Pleurotus ostreatus, Oyster Mushroom

A different cluster from the 1st photograph, but growing from the same log. It sometimes pays to scout around after finding an initial cluster of Oyster Mushrooms.

Pleurotus ostreatus, Oyster Mushroom

Basket of harvested Oysters. Wild Oyster Mushrooms put store-bought to shame in size, taste and texture.

Pleurotus ostreatus, Oyster Mushroom

Oysters enjoyed the same day they were picked. Here they are sauteed with leeks in butter. This dish was eaten over rice, but imagination suggests this same combination might go very well in a cream of mushroom soup; already in the planning....

Pleurotus ostreatus, Oyster Mushroom and leeks

Late Season - H. fuligineus cont.

Hygrophorus fuligineus is an incredibly tasty late autumn mushroom. Its appearance marks the end of the season. As a gourmet flourish at the season's finale, it is a fitting reminder of rewards once had and the promises to be realized in future seasons. I used the mushroom to make Asian spring rolls, supposedly good luck in China.


The mushrooms are cooked in butter in a skillet over low heat. Low heat preserves the tender nature and mild flavor of the mushrooms. Taste and texture are reminiscent of fresh flounder, which is to say not fishy.

Hygrophorus fuligineus

 
Green peppers and green onions are fried separately in olive oil. When sufficiently tender, the heat is turned off, the mushrooms are added, and hoisin and sriracha sauce are stirred into the mix. 

Hygrophorus fuligineus

Finally, the cooked mushrooms and vegetables are spooned onto rice or mung bean noodles placed on wet rice wrappers. Raw green peppers and green onions are added for crispy freshness, and the wraps are rolled up. The rolls are usually dipped in a spicy sauce between bites.

Hygrophorus fuligineus

Late Autumn Harvest - Hygrophorus filigineus

Seems I have some time on my hands.  I'd forgotten how much you can get done for yourself given a little time.  Time is a precious commodity indeed, and it is most rewarding when spent developing a timeworthy personal hobby such as edible wild mushroom foraging. The following pictures show Hygrophorus fuligineus.

Hygrophorus fuligineus is a late season edible. They are found growing with pine, on the ground in the forest. Young specimens are extremely slimy and hard to hold. Gills are white and descend down the stem. Center of the cap is typically darker than the edge. Spore print is white.

Hygrophorus fuligineus

This shows the slimy layer found on younger specimens. If you are deterred by the slime, you will miss out on a very tasty mushroom.

Hygrophorus fuligineus

Basketful of what I consider a gourmet edible. Pine needles are seen stuck to the mushrooms after the slime layer has dried.

Hygrophorus fuligineus

Cooked over low heat in butter, this mild tasting mushroom has the flavor and texture of fresh flounder or sole. The taste is not fishy, but has a savory richness that melts in your mouth.  The picture shows mushrooms cooked in olive oil, the taste of which overwhelms the mild taste of the mushroom. Better to use butter.

Hygrophorus fuligineus

Late Season - Thanksgiving Stuffing

This year's turkey stuffing included two novel ingredients. In addition to the normal bread, carrots, celery and onions, we threw in significant quantities of turnips and Hygrophorus filigineus mushrooms picked from the wild.

The turnips give a mouthwatering sweetness to the stuffing, while the mushrooms added moisture and cohesiveness to the texture, as well as a mild taste with undertones of exotic wild nature.

This picture appeared in the New York Times collection of Thanksgiving photographs submitted by readers. Pine needles from the mushroom's natural habitat are seen stuck to the mushrooms before cleaning.

Hygrophorus fuligineus included in turkey stuffing

Late Season - Mushroom Ragu

This is wild mushroom ragu prepared with dried Agaricus campestris harvested from a local vineyard. Red wine from the same vineyard was included in the recipe, as well as fresh sassafras leaves dried and crushed to make file.

Being dark-spored, A. campestris gives the pasta an intriguingly dark color. The pasta is farfelline, or small bow-ties, which invite dainty, small scoops of the thick, dark ragu sauce. Light colored grated cheese and pineapple are a pleasing contrast for the eyes. Of course, the same wine used in the recipe is the beverage used to accompany the overwhelmingly rich meal.

Wild mushroom ragu using Agaricus campestris and red wine

Early Autumn Harvest

Three inches of rain brought a good harvest of mushrooms common to fields and grass. Both Meadow Mushrooms, Agaricus campestris, and Purple-spored Puffballs, Calvatia cyanthiformis, were plentiful enough to satiate my hunger for wild mushrooms, at least temporarily.

This is a basket of very fresh Meadow Mushrooms. Closely related to the white button and Portobello mushrooms at the grocers, the ones picked from the wild are more flavorful. Most of these will be dried and become part of a mushroom ragu recipe using red wine and cavatelli.

Agaricus campestris, Meadow Mushrooms

A basket of Purple-spored Puffballs sits on the grass from where they were picked. If their destiny is the kitchen, select young, firm puffballs with a uniform pure white interior.

Calvatia cyanthiformis, Purple-Spored Puffballs

These are the Meadow Mushrooms sauteed in butter and spread on top of toasted pumpernickel bread. Thin slivers of Swiss cheese are melted to keep the mushrooms in place. The cooked mushrooms are very dark and compliment the color of the pumpernickel.

Agaricus campestris, Meadow Mushrooms

This hearty breakfast has fried puffball slices placed on a scrambled egg while still in the skillet so the slices get cooked into place. Egg and mushrooms then top-off a toasted bagel. The puffball is a uniform white inside. Fry puffball slices over low heat to avoid off flavors and aromas.

Calvatia cyanthiformis, Purple-Spored Puffball

These are the dried Meadow Mushrooms to be used in making mushroom ragu. Hopefully, I will find some Maitake, Grifola frondosa, that can also be included in the ragu.

Agaricus campestris, Meadow Mushrooms

A Very Impressive Amanita

The woods are beginning to show some potential. Rain and early June make for good mushrooming, and the proof is in the pictures.

This magnificent Amanita jacksonii, the Eastern Caesar's Mushroom, is among the largest Amanitas I ever found. Listed as edible but not choice, the taste is said to be somewhat fishy. Others say specimens found further north (Maine) have excellent flavor. I may try a little to satisfy my curiosity, and be able to say I've eaten more than one species of Amanita (A. rubescens).

Amanita jacksonii, Eastern American Caesar's Mushroom

To give an idea of size and stature, the knife case at the base of the mushroom is 3.75" long.

Amanita jacksonii, Eastern American Caesar's Mushroom

Here's my hand for a size comparison. You can also see the large, white sack-like volva at the base of the mushroom. The specimen was solitary, with oak being the predominate tree in the vicinity.

Amanita jacksonii, Eastern American Caesar's Mushroom

First post in 2010 - Conveniently alphabetical

Haven't had a chance to use my time for practical reasons (e.g. mushroom foraging). Instead, I've been hampered by work. Hope to get into the woods this Memorial Day weekend and make up for lost time. These Agrocybe have been popping up by the hundreds in garden mulch spread around the winery where I work.

I'm tempted to say this is some variant of Agrocybe praecox. Others have suggested A. dura.  The striations near the top of the stem are distinctive and eye-catching.  Said to be of little to no culinary value, I didn't even give it a try. But, those deep fissures in the cap look like they could soak up a batter or sauce... Some salted garlic butter, maybe? I bet there must be some way to make these things taste good.