This fall’s mushroom foraging was a little sparse, but that was probably because we had to leave for Santa Fe in the middle of it. I only found one patch of shaggy manes. They were delicious as usual, but the real prize of the season was a puffball.
Raw Shaggy Manes
It wasn’t me who found it, but my fellow forager, Lee. He doesn’t like the texture of puffballs, so I was delighted to take it off his hands!
I’ve only had one other puffball before. That one actually appeared in my back yard years ago, and I’ve been waiting in vain for another ever since. I sliced up and sautéed this season’s bounty in butter, and it was as good as I’d remembered.
Whole Puffball, With Quarter For Scale
R. Crumb said, “Never eat anything bigger than your head,” but this mushroom was just slightly smaller, so I had no qualms. Still, it was big enough to last for two meals.
Sliced – Beautifully White Inside
Do I need to mention that no one should eat any mushroom that hasn’t been positively identified? I stick to the species that are fairly common and don’t have any “evil twins,” but I still don’t eat any that are in the least bit iffy. Nor should you!
Cooking The Puffball
