On the Trail of the Fungus...

Greetings food lovers and amateur cooks. Fall is upon us! I have have had the great time and the great luck of ringing in my favorite culinary season, with the years first Mushroom Hunt and Gather in Columbia Gorge. The weekend began with a fantastic dinner and wining in Troutdale, with pancetta wrapped chicken breast and thigh, served with a selection of grilled fruit and marscapone polenta to usher in flavors of the fall, coffee rubbed venison short ribs, and a fantastic heirloom caprese salad, all courtesy of the Black Rabbit Restaurant at the Edgefield Inn, Toutdale.

Hitting the road early after a fantastic stay at McMenamin's Edgefield Hotel, my partner and I made our way into the beautiful Columbia River gorge wilderness, in search of glimpses of gold peaking up from the forest floor. And found it we did! Chanterelles are out, my friends, and I would encourage any and all to grab the opportunity provided within our unique culinary nest of the NW. We found, in a relatively short time, at least a pound or two of beautiful, small golden chanterelles, among a nunber of othe rmushrooms, as well. Russula, boletus, amanita, polypore, and other less edible mushrooms are springing into degenerative action all over the forest.

After viewing an incredible scenic 360° view from the top of Larch Mountain, and pointing out the (barely) snowcapped peaks to visiting world tourists, we descended to give the hunt another whirl. Lo and behold, what we found was indeed a dashing of hopes, no doubt instigated by the fungally ignorant: Along a path we found a number of smashed and decapitated Lobster mushrooms, no doubt in their culinary prime, now rendered food for the next fungal flush.

It was with this knowledge of the nearby treat, however, that we resumed out search, and were soon rewarded with a 1.5 pound lobster mushroom just peeking out from the earth and glowing red in the setting sun. Seeking a camping spot in Oxbow Regional park, we concluded the days mission, but not without a congratalatory Hi-Five for the bounty collected on the first of what will become many days on the trail of the fungus!

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Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

1/4 cup olive oil blend
2 T butter
1/2 medium Onion, small dice
2 carrots, small dice
1 large Lobster Mushroom, medium dice
1 pound Chanterelle Mushroom, rough chop
1 pound shiitake mushroom, rough chop
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
dash ground cloves
1/4 c. beer (I used Fat Tire)
3/4 gal. vegetable stock
4 oz. Roux--
-2 oz. butter
-2 oz. unbleached white flour
1/4-1/2 cup Half'n'Half
Salt and pepper to finish
Truffle oil optional
Spinach leaves, fresh, chiffonade

1. In a 10 qt pot, sweat onions and carrots in butter and oil until onions are translucent
2. Add mushrooms, turn up heat and saute until juices are out, moisture is reduced, and some mushroom flesh has begun to just stick to the bottom of the pan. Add cinnamon and cloves.
3. Deglaze the pan with beer (add beer, let it come to rapid boil, scrape bottom of pan with metal spoon to dislodge the mushroom fond)
4. Reduce liquid au sec
5. Add Vegetable stock, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer (BTAB/RTAS)
6. Cook to further soften the mushrooms and integrate flavors
7. Meanwhile, cook roux to nutty brown smell wafts
8. Brimg soup back a low boil and quickly whisk in Roux
9. RTAS, allow to simmer for 10-20 min. remove scum from surface
10. ON LOW HEAT, add half and half to desired consistancy
11. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste.
12. I added truffle oil, roughly 1/2 tsp and chiffonade spinach leaves for color.

This soup is a warm and wonderful introduction to fall! Enjoy!