Mushroom hunting is a lot like an Easter Egg Hunt. You search for them and when you find them, you are overjoyed! But then are already on the hunt for the next one. It can be quite addicting.
But it can also be quite frustrating! Like fishing for Walleye or Perch. "They were here last year! Where the heck are they now? And why is ever one else catching them except us?"
(Yes, that actually happened..... Many times with our family fishing adventures.)
But every now and then, the Mushrooms simply find you. Similar to smelt Dipping in the U.P. of Michigan. I have never actually gone smelt dipping! But have had to clean bathtubs of smelt because our neighbors had a bonanza year.
And that is what happened today. Only with the Hen of the Woods. (Grifola frondosa) Also known as: known as sheep's head,[2] ram's head, or maitake. Today, a random stranger gave me a HUGE section of one he found in his friends yard. I was stopping in at the Kwik Trip and this hippy looking guy comes up on a bike and starts doing what ALL mushroom hunters do... Monologging about his find. (I do it all the time!) And when he found out I actually knew what he was talking about, he was more than eager to offer up a section of the mushrooms. Unbelievable!
He said it was because it was heavy and he did not want to carry all of it home. So I was more than willing to take away some of his "burden".
The hen of the Woods will now fall into a unique slot in my mushroom mental notebook. I believe it is the only mushroom where people have given me parts of their finds. In otherwords: The mushroom has found me! Even though I have been looking for it over the last several weeks ( along with the Chicken of the Woods) All I really had to do was be at the right place at the right time and I would acquire the mushroom without having to actually go out in the woods to find it.
This has happened to me three times now! First, the German couple at Petrified Springs. They had found several and offered me a large section. Second, was Joan from Zebra! One was growing in her front yard. She thought it was turkey tail, but NO! It was a HUGE Maitake. And she gave me the whole thing!
I should mention we found a couple last year with the kids from the Natural Science club. It was a little too old to eat, but it was still a fun find when hunting with the kids.
And now this. Turns out, if you manage to find Just One Maitake mushroom, you will have more than enough to share with complete strangers. I guess I actually shared my Chanterelles with Dave, Christina, and the Bartender at the Clubhouse. So perhaps the universe is smiling at me and helping me out since I have not been able to hunt as often as I used to. Either way, I will see if I can cook this one up in a crock pot ( just purchased one today!) and see how it will turn out. I do know that Hen of the woods is more like a Broccoli vegetable. in texture, and probably will not make for a good "Mushroom and Swiss" burger.
I can't wait to see how it turns out, since I prepped all the stuff int eh crock pot already tonight. Hopefully, it will be able to cook all night and I will be able to have a sample tomorrow when I get up before work. A for now, I have to get to bed because it is getting late, and I have already made every second count....
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