Although I used to be a farmer’s market junkie, these days you can usually find me at our food cart. Relaxing weekends are pretty much a thing of the past. Last Saturday was an exception though, as both my husband and I got off early from work. The two of us slowly sauntered around, buying kale, garlic, turnips, and a huge bunch of strikingly colored winter squash. We tasted samples of crisp apples, sipped on hot tea, and just thoroughly enjoyed the beautifully crisp day. Before we left, Jay wanted to pick up some wild mushrooms. Have you ever noticed the variety of wild mushrooms at the farmer’s market? It’s amazing! Jay immediately zeroed in on the lobster and chicken of the woods mushrooms.
You can see the mushrooms above. They were so good! If you’ve never tried a chicken of the woods mushroom, you should. They are really delicious. They’re super-easy to cook too. Clean them really well (I usually use a dry brush for this), and if there’s any dirt left on them give them a quick rinse. The trick with mushrooms is to not soak them in water, because they soak it up like a sponge. Then slice into strips or pieces and pan fry in a hot cast iron skillet with some olive oil. We also add lots of garlic and then salt and pepper them to taste. They only take about 10 to 15 minutes to cook. So good!
What are some of your favorite wild mushrooms?
I’ve never been much for mushroom texture, but perhaps I haven’t tried the right ones. Or prepared them correctly!
i LOVE chicken of the woods mushrooms, julie! i make a mushroom risotto with chicken of the woods and chanterelles and HOLY MOLY so delicious.
I love all sorts of mushrooms, but sadly we don’t have anywhere near the variety of wild mushrooms available here in Brisbane! I really like oyster mushrooms.
You make me ecstatic to realize that I get to visit a farmers market with amazing mushroom prices today!