Mushroom Season

We are drowning in endless streams of people coming for their vacations here at the inn. It has been very warm and humid despite the fact that we are in the mountains, although the rest of the country is suffering double digit temps, we are hovering around the upper 80’s. The humidity and plentiful rainfall has produced an amazing array of incredible fungi here in the forest. We have been awed by the beauty of some of them and when we can, we identify them and find out if they are edible or not.
One that we have found just a few feet from the inn is this Sulfur Shelf. It is also called Chicken of the Forest. As long as it is not growing on a Hemlock or conifer it is quite edible and if you simmer it in broth for half an hour it tastes a little like earthy chicken. If the Maple Syrup tasted like the blood of the earth in the Spring, these are the bone marrow. There are so many different varieties of mushrooms sprouting up from the ground and we have never before been exposed to this particular side of nature. As we have said before the seasons on this side of the country are incredibly profuse and defined. We are getting quite excited about the prospect of autumn and what that will bring to our wondering eyes.