Clean Your Bottom Off!

Mushroom season has begun and we have joined in the hunt. Here the season begins with certain varieties in September, depending on the rain, and lasts until March. To say "let's go mushroom hunting" in Italian is "Andiamo a funghi," "Let's go to mushrooms." It conjures up images of a type of communion with the mushroom, rather than the connotations of hunting. The more we go, the more it seems the communion is the most important aspect. The smell, the sounds, the sudden feeling that there is one nearby, are all as important as knowing how they look and where they are supposed to live. Peter and I have both recently gotten to the point where sometimes we just stop and know that there is one close, as though it were calling to us. The other day we were walking on a popular trail, the beheaded mushrooms that littered the ground a dead giveaway that we were not the first to have walked that morning, searching for mushrooms. We found so many perfect specimens that the people before us SHOULD have found. I began to feel that each mushroom has its own destiny. How lucky were those that got to come home with us and be cooked to perfection by Peter.  Later in the afternoon we went to the other side of mountain and found so many it was almost embarrassing. When the time is right, it is like every other item on this island, there is more than enough for everyone. The key is getting them before they begin their inevitable decline.


Our first trip "a funghi," took us up to the mountain a few Sundays ago. It was beautiful here at our house. As we ascended the mountain, we saw older men in old style Fiat Pandas. There was no doubt their trunks were filled with mushrooms. We got towards the top and found extreme 40 knot winds, fog, moisture, and lots of mushrooms. We began collecting them into two bags, potentially edible and undoubtedly poisonous. Our endeavor was purely educational. We weren't going to eat any of them. We ran into a family we know from Lily's school. The mother was taking refuge from the wind and rain with her daughter in their car. She looked into our plastic bag and pointed to the one I was sure was most toxic. Brown top, yellow spongey bottom, and when squished, it turned somewhere between deep and bright blue.  "This one you can eat." No way. Inconceivable to my novice eye. Who eats a mushroom that stains blue!? Turns out, we do, but not until several days later.


She then opened her trunk and sheepishly showed us their haul. I am sure that she was not trying to humiliate us. The trunk, however, contained a crate of what we know now as "mazzo di tamburro," or drum sticks. The mushroom as it grows tall looks just like a drumstick, until it opens. Then it looks like an umbrella for a small person, or a large breast, as Peter's whole family pointed out. They must have had over a hundred of them. She said we should look down, in the "basso." Not much in the way of help.

Eventually, we did find our own Mazzo di Tamburro, with the help of Pasquale. 

It is important to have a mentor when learning some new things, critical for others.  Our friend Gianluca, who runs the small alimentare shop under the shadow of our bulky castle warned us the other day, "You must start with the premise that all mushrooms are toxic." Hence, the need for a mentor.


Most mushroom experts, however, are out hunting for their own stash and aren't particularly eager to show you their favorite spots.  Our friend Eddy told us that his Dad is very knowledgeable and would be willing to take us. We were giddy with the thought of having a guide. We went to his house with our bag of potentially edible and surely toxic.  He poured them all out in a pathetic jumble. We were mildly scolded for putting them all together, mixing edible and toxic. We explained that we had no plans to eat any of them, they were instructional mushrooms only. We made plans to meet the next day for a morning on the mountain.


Pasquale was happy to take us, and we were eager students. He liked that we really wanted to learn.  We began in a wooded area just off the road that winds up to the top of the mountain. There were 5 adults, our mushroom Maestro, and Lily. We enthusiastically kept her out of school, knowing that an education like this is irreplaceable.

There are lots of mushrooms on this island.  The vast majority are inedible, of course. Until you have an idea of what is, mushroom hunting is quite tedious. We called Pasquale over ever few moments to show him specimens. After the 20th time telling me "no" on a lactarius, I stopped asking. I began to see the subtle differences between it and its edible look alike, the agaricus delicius. Our pack changed location several times, each time a few hundred meters closer to the top. The terrain was dramatically different with each stop- pine, oak, some very wet and others boasted partial sun.


We found a couple of boletus, including one of the blue staining ones, which he assured us were okay to eat. We found several agaricus delicius, and some champignon. At the end we found the giant mazzo di tamburro, too. He said he was very disappointed that we hadn't found more. I told him that it was really great for me, because now I could rule out many of the ones I saw over and over, solfini, russola and lactarius.


We came off the mountain and had a lovely meal with fellow foodies and mushroom hunters Jim and Judith Dixon, of the Portland Based Company "REAL GOOD FOOD." You can meet Jim at the Portland Farmer's Market and buy the wonderful products they brought home, all made by small family producers, all as authentic as can be. 


Each time we found something worth keeping, Pasquale would bellow "Emily, clean your bottom off!" Every collector has their own technique. Pasquale doesn't like dirty bottoms coming home with him. Another friend of our throws all of his specimens in a bucket and cleans them when he gets home. Pasquale's voice now lives in my head, and I regularly call out with a spurt of excitement that can only be reproduced when one finds something they are looking for, "Peter, Please clean my bottom off!" So far he hasn't said no. 


The boletus known on the island as "vavoosa" are springing up gleefully now. The conditions must be perfect, as we have had plenty of rain and sun. This feature of the island was not one I had thought of when we visited in the summer. Having this mountain playground filled with the earthiest treats imaginable all while the sea sparkles in the distance is such a great luxury. In that theme, we had crepes filled with kobucha squash filling with a cicala and agaricus delicius sauce. Three sources of tender sweetness played on the palate.

Variety of Boletus mushrooms to the upper and lower left. Agaricus Delicius (orange) to the right

Yesterday Peter went up the mountain on Thanksgiving morning, searching for the King Boletus~ The porcino. 
He found two beautiful porcini which he later served atop our perfectly cooked turkey wings. 

Lots to be grateful for. Abundance manifesting in so many ways, family, friends, and natural beauty. 

Campobello, Pantelleria. Late Afternoon on Thanksgiving day.