Which brings us to one of the major reasons for this post. Foraging. I forage a lot now. Yesterday my best friend and I went on a 3 1/2 hour foraging expedition along a nature trail. We found miles of grape vines and the tenderest, most unblemished grape leaves you'll ever find. We also found mulberries and dewberries (the latter I could not eat; because they were growing with poison ivy). That's also not to mention my new culinary delicacy, dock. Seems the wild garlic is disappearing, though, which is indeed a shame.
Anyway, I would call myself both a bold forager and a not so bold forager. Bold in the sense that I am willing to try it when the world says nay and go places where the deer and the antelope play; and not so bold in the sense that I would like to stay alive and not die a violent, convulsive death (or subject anyone else to such). There is a saying in the foraging community that there are "old foragers and bold foragers; but not old bold foragers." I would prefer to be an old forager. This foraging proverb is especially common and crucial in mushroom foraging.
I've always had a secret desire to be a mycologist. To know the poisonous mushrooms from the not poisonous mushrooms and come home with a bag full of mushrooms that won't induce any kind of Alice in Wonderland mind trip after consumption. But, I'm not a mycologist. I don't trust myself with mushrooms (yet, and maybe not ever). I am at war with myself, you know. This constant desire to forage for mushrooms met with this desire to, well, you know...not die. I'd be willing to learn in the near future if it had not been for my mother making me solemnly swear that I will never pick a mushroom. Not even a morel.
"I can't make those kinds of promises," I told her, wide eyed. "About morels at least. But, I can promise you that I'll never forage for anything else that's not an actual plant."
Of course, this answer was not good enough, and I do love my mother. In an attempt to be a good (and alive) daughter; I sought compromise. Instead of forage the mushrooms - we shall find a way to grow them. It couldn't be too hard, I thought. I mean, I'd seen a hundred plus of those Pinterest collages with the "money saving tips" that said you can regrow your "kitchen scraps," including mushrooms. However, upon researching it turned to be a lot harder than formerly depicted.
Then I found out about this neat little company called Back to the Roots. The sell mushroom grow kits and aquaponics tanks. The internet is filled with pictures of delicate, gourmet oyster mushrooms growing out of the side of the box - 5, even 10 pounds worth. And, it was only 20 bucks at Whole Foods. I honestly don't shop at Whole Foods (#1. ridiculously expensive, #2. ridiculously expensive and #3. did I mention ridiculously expensive?), but they had what I wanted. As soon as I brought it home I was eager to start. I followed the directions and noticed that there was already a healthy cluster of mushrooms growing out of the top of the bag. Though, these quickly dried up and withered away...?
Anyway, I'm misting it as it says and waiting for some sign of mushroom to appear where it's supposed to instead of where it can't possibly escape (i.e. beneath the plastic on the opposite side). Right now most of the mushrooms I can see are popping up where they cannot escape and where they are not intended to grow. I guess this can be seen as a good thing and a bad thing. Fingers crossed, it is a success. And if the timing is right, they should be ready just in time for my graduation party!
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