11/18/25 6:00 42F

Just got back from a mushroom foray with Walter and Mike.

We went out around 1:00. It was an overcast day with enough breaks to provide adequate sun to navigate through the trees.

Immediately we spotted Amanita, Lepiota, Russula and Stropharia.

Our collection included Matsutake, Chanterelles, Lobster Mushrooms  and one small, but very fresh Cauliflower Mushroom. Not an abundant haul but nice variety.

It started getting dark so we called off the hunt and fired up my Biolite pellet stove to heat some hot toddies and make some Sparrasis-chicken soup .

It was as dark as the inside of a whale when we packed up and went home.

Amanita smithiana

Sparassis radicata

Michael photographing a mystery mushroom.

This large clump of mushrooms was easily a foot and a half across. I have no idea what it is.

Yellow chanterelles hiding under a log. When I learned this mushroom it was listed as Cantharellus cibarius. The golden chanterelles in western North America have since been reclassified, and I am not certain what this is currently considered. Doesn’t matter to me – tastes just as good, no matter what you call it.

A modest haul, but we were grateful to find these before the freeze hit later that night.

Prepping vegetables for the soup.

Chicken broth, Sparasis, carrots, potatoes, a squeeze of lemon, salt, pepper, tarragon and sage.

Dinner cooking on the Biolite. The pellets had been kicking around in my truck for months and were hard to get lit, but they burned like gang-busters once they finally took.

Walter and Mike.