The Prince, Agaricus augustus, has sprouted to the delight of those who loved edible fungi. Gail Thompson photographed this group of Prince mushrooms.
Gail wrote, "If you sauté in butter, water and a little garlic salt and then pour on top of mashed potatoes, you have a princely meal."
Thanks to Gail for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
A choice, edible mushroom that *normally* blooms in the fall, usually in November, has fruited on the Mendonoma Coast. Cathleen Crosby had a half dozen pop up near her home in Gualala
This is exactly what you look for - a big, fat mushroom with a thick, white stalk and a brown cap. Under the cap is a sponge rather than gills. This mushroom is a joy to find and delicious to eat. Now I wonder what will happen when our fall rains begin. Will we get a normal bloom of King Boletes?
Our summer edible mushroom is The Prince, Agaricus augustus. It is blooming on schedule as Leslie Hoppe's photo shows you. The Prince often pops up near roads and trails. When it is young it tastes sweet and almondy; when older it tastes more "mushroomy."
Thanks to Cathleen and Leslie for allowing me to share their photos with you here.
Matsutakes, the prized wild mushroom that smells of cinnamon, are continuing to appear.
It's important to carefully dig up this mushroom to see the complete stem. It does have a very bad lookalike so only forage for this mushroom if you are very certain of your identification.
And here is one of my favorite edibles, a Queen Bolete, Boletus aereus.
Yet another storm is hitting the Mendonoma Coast. But this weekend is forecast to be sunny. We will be ready for some of that yellow stuff!
Agaricus augustus, The Prince, continues to make its royal appearance. Rick and I saw a new group of this edible mushroom growing just off our road in Anchor Bay. They are having a long fruiting season this year. Irma Brandt photographed these on the last day in May. She called them soldiers on Memorial Day.
Thanks to Irma for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
Update: The paper wasp nest that took over one of our birdhouses has been wiped out, probably by a skunk. I'll post a photo tomorrow.
Rick and I saw the first one a few days ago in the same spot alongside our road where we found them last year. Yesterday afternoon the first button was joined by a second one. And this morning a third one was just peeking up through the redwood duff. The Prince, an edible mushroom, has made its first appearance of the year.
We'll let these mushrooms grow a bit before picking them for our dinner. Agaricus augustus grows in many parts of the world and is known for its almond aroma.
May is a beautiful time for coastal gardens. Hybrid rhododendrons and azaleas thrive here. Here is a peek at a portion of my garden in bloom. The bees are loving the blossoms and so am I!
