We Know A Guy

We have a friend that is a bee keeper.  Lots of times we trade him fresh milk for honey.  He is a very interesting guy and we always enjoy visiting with him and his wife.  The other day Tricia got a call from the friend.  He said he had "a bag" for us.  Interesting!  We checked the refrigerator to see the contents.  Fresh Picked Chanterelles!

A couple of edible mushrooms that grow in our area are oyster mushrooms and chanterelles.  The main way that we identify chanterelle mushrooms is to look at the gills.  Chanterelles have false gills that run down underneath the cap and down the stem a little ways.  Other mushrooms have true gills.  True gills can be removed.  On chanterelles, the false gills can't be removed without damaging the mushroom.  Chanterelles are also flute-shaped, mostly.

They are a yellowish-orange color, so they really stand out growing in the green grass.  They grow from summer into fall.  After a rain, they really come out.  A neat thing is, once you find where they grow, it becomes your "honey hole."  You can go back again and again and harvest mushrooms.

But the REALLY neat thing is eating them!  We like to simply saute them with some butter in a cast iron skillet.  I tried to get a good photo a a pot full of sauteed chanterelles, but we ate almost all of them immediately!

The bottom of the pot

While mowing the other day, I discovered a new spot in the yard where they are growing.  It's good to have a friend that blesses you with mushrooms.  It's also good to find a good spot in the yard to pick your own.