Chicken of the Woods

This has been a very hunter/gatherer type weekend (without the killing type of hunting). It is all my husband's idea. I think he was born in the wrong era. So we go along with it, because well, it's actually cool to pick your own food.  I call my husband the "fruit whisperer". He can sniff out an opportunity for picking fruit from a mile away. He recently found a pear tree and several fig trees in town. These trees are unclaimed and the evidence of wasted fruit is all over the ground. It's a shame to let any more go to waste, so don't mind if we do!

On top of that, the hubs has been on a hunt for the elusive "Chicken of the Woods" mushroom for a few years now. He's read up on it and knows all its' do's and don't s. For example, if it is growing on certain types of trees, you want to avoid eating it, because it can give you gastric distress. Crazy, huh?

Well, a few weeks ago he found it, and yesterday, he found some more. He can now add "Chicken of the Woods Whisperer" to his title. He made sure it was indeed the "Chicken" by taking it to the mushroom lady at the market, who confirmed it and offered to buy it. I would have voted for selling it, as I am NOT a mushroom fan, although I do think they are really cool-looking. But after all that hard work, he was GOING to eat it himself.

For dinner he sauteed it with some garlic, olive oil and peppers. Now, trying to be a supportive person, I gave it a try. Or it could just be that he MADE me. But either way, guess what? It wasn't as revolting as most mushrooms. Cooking it with the other ingredients helped of course. And also, it tastes like chicken. Ha. Really, it kind of does and has a similar texture, which is why people like to use it in place of chicken for stir fry dishes and the like. The best part is that we didn't die from eating it. So that's a good thing.

Some other enchanting toadstools along the way:


These remind me of cliff dwellings.

Love the orangey-red:

A large flowery one:

These sort of look like biscuits. Breakfast, anyone?

Secret lovers (heehee):

This guy reminded me of one of my favorite story books from when I was young-the Frog and Toad series.  I think he's waiting for his best pal to come over for the day.

A classic red with white spots mushroom and another woodland character. Eek! It's so adorable I can't help myself.

And I had to pull out an old favorite from my photos of last year's mushroom quest:

It reminds me of stars. The forest is so magical.