Chanterelle Happiness



A perfect little Chanterelle

 It's hard to beat a sunny Fall day spent tromping through the woods. There's nothing like it.  Today was one of those days.  It seems like we've had weeks of nothing but gray skies and rain, lots of rain.  But, today was beautiful.  As October comes to an end we are always sad to put away our garden and give up the constant supply of fresh edibles. At the same time we begin to feel the pull of the woods where the moisture and cool weather has begun to coax Chanterelle mushrooms from the forest floor. We have been wanting to head for the woods for over a week now, but just couldn't get away.  Today was the day. Our supply of treasured frozen Chanterells has dwindled to almost nothing and we desperately needed to restock.

For me, mushroom hunting is a magical thing.  I love walking through the woods alone enjoying the peace and quiet; the dappled sun filtering through the forest above, the soft floor of moss and fir needles muffling my footsteps. Today I realized that I cherish this private time with nature and that I only experience it when mushrooms are my focus. I feel safe.  Reyn and I always start our hunting together, but the illusive mushrooms quickly entice us in opposite directions. We return to our favorite "secret" spot every year.   It's not really possible to get lost as there is a road on one side and a ridge on the other, but for hours at a time we don't see one another or communicate.  We simply enjoy the sounds and sights of the deep woods,  along with the pleasure of a treasure hunt. 

When we arrived at our spot today we were disappointed to find another car parked not too far up the road.  It is always a surprise to learn that someone else knows of this place.  The car departed soon after we arrived, but we were afraid that not many mushrooms would be left.  Over the years I have learned that regardless of who or how many people have picked before us, there are always mushrooms to be found.  Today was no different.  We had to look a little harder, and found many that were buried in the fir needles, exposing just the slightest bit of their golden edge, but mushrooms we did find.  See for yourself, together we picked 25 pounds of beautiful Chanterelles.

Our dinner for tonight?  Chanterelles, of course.  By the time we drove home and cleaned our mushrooms it was late, and true to form, I had planned nothing for dinner.  A quick and easy fritatta fit the bill.  This could be the best.  Garlic, a leek, and potatoes from our garden, eggs from a friend, Chanterelles, along with a bit of bacon and a bit of cheese made an exceptionally delicious combination.  The final touch was a little smoked Spanish paprika sprinkled on top.   Here's how I made it.

Potato and Chanterelle Fritatta

3 strips bacon

1 clove garlic, slivered

1 leek, white part sliced

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 potatoes, quartered lengthwise, then sliced

2+ cups Chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp Sherry
2 - 3 TBS cubed aged cheddar cheese (white)
4 eggs
1/4 - 1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
Smoked Spanish paprika

Cut bacon into small squares and cook until crisp.  Drain and set aside.  In a non-stick frying pan heat olive oil, add garlic and leeks.  Saute until soft.  Add the potatoes and cook on med/low heat until the potatoes are cooked through, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Meanwhile clean and chop mushrooms into pieces about 1 - 2" wide.  Heat oil to medium in a saute pan and add mushrooms. Cook until they release all their liquid, add sherry and continue cooking until the liquid has completely evaporated. In a small bowl, beat eggs and milk together.  Arrange cheese cubes and bacon on top of potatoes, top with mushrooms, then pour on the egg and milk mixture.  Cook over medium heat, lifting the edge of the eggs as they firm up and allowing remaining liquid eggs to run under the edge.  When the fritatta is firm around the outside, but still runny in the middle, place the pan under the broiler briefly to finish cooking.  Voila!