Hunting Mushrooms

Mushroom season is upon us, and even though Alberta is not exactly known for its edible 'shrooms, I've been bitten by the mushroom hunting bug. I've been hunting mushrooms under the old spruce and fir trees in our front yard, checking every day to see their little white caps poking up from beneath the needles. I've dragged my family out to the local farmers' market very early on a Saturday morning so that we can get first pick of the wild morels and chanterelles trucked in from the woods of British Columbia. I've even ventured into the dusty recesses of our basement to dig out a pair of mushroom prints I bought back in Germany, which I'm finally going to have framed.


And while I hope that one day I can go on a real mushroom hunt, in the meantime I'm content to hunt them a little closer to home. Luckily, I found this nifty little mushroom puzzle on Etsy that will allow me to satisfy my mushroom hunting urges from the safety and comfort of my own living room. It's made by the talented team at Xylocopa Designs, and each mushroom is based on a real species of fungus and cut from one of four different types of wood. I am just blown away by the artistry and craftsmanship that went into its design. My only complaint (which is not really a complaint at all) is that the mushrooms aren't identified. I guess this means I'll just have to buy a mushroom field guide and start hunting them down, one by one.

Tomorrow: Recipes for eating all of those tasty mushrooms I foraged at my local farmer's market.