hen-of-the-woods mushrooms Archives

Robin scans the offerings of Meusch Farms in Rolla, that included such fall produce as Jerusalem artichokes, garlic chives, spaghetti squash, pumpkins, and late tomatoes.

Meanwhile, back at the farm, my neighbor, Susanne, trades me vine-ripe tomatoes for wild mushrooms. Another neighbor brought us some elk from a recent hunting trip out West. We’re truly “living off the land.”

Those tomatoes were a perfect addition to this Edamame-Garbanzo-Corn-Tomato Salad with Lime Vinaigrette.

Robin prepares hen-of-the-woods mushrooms for roasting. The tasty fungi is also referred to as “hens.”

October is perfect for a heaping bowl of chili with a side of cornbread.

Read my “Applesauce Story,” that follows . . .

I ordered three apples from Instacart and wound up with three bags! They say when given lemons, make lemonade. Well, the same works with apples. I turned most of them into applesauce and Robin made a Swedish Apple Cake.

I now include a bit of applesauce in my morning yogurt, which definitely adds a tasty dimension to breakfast.

My friend, Lucy, added more color to the season, when she arrived for “Dinner on the Deck,” carrying three beautiful mum plants.

(Top left to right): chili, cornbread, edamame-corn-garbanzo salad with lime vinaigrette, Jerusalem Artichokes Provençale, homemade applesauce, roasted hen-of-the-woods mushrooms.

Swedish Apple Cake

Wine on deck

Cutting and stacking wood goes with the season, if you want to enjoy a warm fireplace on that first chilly evening.

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Country breakfast compliments of Ken Gilberg: scrambled eggs, hashbrowns and wild mushrooms

Cooking with Ken

I love it when house guests feel comfortable enough in my farm kitchen to jump in and cook a dish. This past weekend Ken Gilbert (Herbaria on The Hill) came prepared to make his Sunday morning hashbrown potatoes.

Now these are not your ordinary roadhouse hashbrowns. Ken brought his own slicer to get just the right cut and the peanut oil that he prefers to mix with butter in a skillet before sauteing 47 mustard seeds—or so he joked. The sliced and seasoned potatoes cooked atop the mustard seeds. He topped the mixture with a sprinkle of paprika, though I saw online recipes used Indian flavors as well—turmeric, coriander and cumin for what is sometimes called Bombay Potatoes.

A Flip or a Flop

Ken added an additional maneuver to the recipe. When the skillet-size potato cake got golden brown on one side, he turned it over. Not with a spatula (too easy), but by tossing it in the air and catching it in the skillet. Quite an impressive move. He admitted it doesn’t always land in the pan, but the gamble adds to the mystery and the viewer’s appreciation of the dish.

The traditional method of flipping involves using a spatula to sneak a look at the underside before covering the skillet with a plate and turning it out. Then you skootch the potato cake back into the skillet with the uncooked side down. It’s the less showy option.

I don’t want you to think we do nothing but eat all weekend at the farm. There’s lots to do outdoors this time of the year when the foliage is alive with color. And there’s no better way to appreciate the season than on foot or horseback.

Foraging the Woods for Fun and Fungi

“Horsing around” as guests ready for a foray into the woods.

Grace Cunningham happily takes to the trail.

Yes, horses make people happy as evidenced by Leo and Ken Gilberg . . .

. . . but, then, so do four-wheelers. JC and Lily join Leo and LaRee Gilberg for a trail ride on wheels.

Hmm. . . could this be a truffle sniffing horse?

Hen-of-the-Woods mushrooms (what the Japanese call Maitake) are a prized fungi. Robin reaches for some she’s found under a tree.

Lucy and Robin extract a hen-of-the-woods. The feathery exterior makes the mushroom look a bit like a hen, thus the name. When cooked they also have the texture of chicken.