The Chanerelles For The WIN!

A pretty good day today, so far.  Cheryl and I skipped the Farmer's Market in Kalona ( as was planned.) and headed to Cedar Rapids to check out their Farmer's Market.  Call it "exploratory research."   What we discovered was that the event was HUGE!  And that there were only "two" Soapers. ( technically, only one!  The other guy had soap, but it was not his primary offering.) So there is a possibility we may have to make an entrance to that show in the future.  

While there, we ate some Thai Street Food, bringing me back to the time I visited Thailand in the Army.  The Street food was awesome! ( Even though the Army Doctor urged us not to eat ANY street food....) The lady said she knew how to make Peanut Butter Noodles.  One of the favorites that I remember.  ( Most of the other food had no name, just awesome aromas and flavors.)   So glad I did not listen to "Dr. Death"(The Doctor's Nick-name.)  and was able to sample real Thai food while I was there. But I digress..

On the way home, we stopped by the store, did a few errands, and had some time left over to explore the Coralville woods near the Bike trail.   I figured if the mushrooms were pinning by the Dam, there was a possibility we might be able to catch a few in Coralville.   Somehow.... Cheryl went along with it. 

We tried the Hills first, as there was a possibility to find a few Boletes on the way.   We were slightly disappointed to only find a handful of Boletes and  no Chanterelles.   However.. On the way back, we discovered a few "spots" that had a bounty of them popping up. 

I suggested we take a look at the "other spot" to make sure they were not popping up there.  Somehow...  Cheryl went along with it. 

I figured we would get skunked there too, but to my surprise, ( And Cheryl's Dismay...) Cheryl found a GOLD MINE!  

The problem with the "non-hill"  is that it is covered in Stinging nettle.  The Chanterelles simple LOVE to pop up in those types of areas.  ( In the Hills, the Chanterelles pop up in Barbed Wire Pricker Vines!)  To get to the Mushrooms, you have to master the "foot Sweep" where you swing your feet and push the plants over as you step on them.  All while being careful not to squash or kick a mushroom along the way.   It takes a  bit of practice, and still, you end up with stingy, itchy hands, arms and ankles. 

We quickly filled the basket and I ran back to the car for one of the cloth sacks.  By the time I returned, Cheryl had completely filled my hat ( An emergency container) and I found an entire area that was untouched!   We got busy  and grabbed anything that was yellow. 

Eventually, Cheryl began to meet her Yoki Limit and started her rambling and muttering about how she was going to die from the sun, the heat, the poisonous plants, and anything else that bothered her.

Possible "false Chanterelle"

Thankfully, we had mostly cleared out the area from the obvious ones and could safely leave, knowing the the Earth's Bounty would not be wasted this day.  Even so, I felt like we should have continued searching, as I believe that every Chanterelle secretly wants to be harvested and made into soup or gravy.  I would not want to disappoint Mother Nature simply because I didn't like the Weather conditions. 

Flip over!  White Gills instead of Ridges.

Back home, Cheryl said I had to clean up the mushrooms and load up the dehydrator. A simple task.  Chanterelles dry fairly fast and are simple enough to clean.  Usually you split them open to aid in drying.  If you are picky,  you can toss out the ones that do not have a clear, solid stem center.  However, I have discovered that this "Gold Standard" is slightly more lofty than mine.  If you throw out all those Chanterelles, you would have few if any left!   So mostly I simply pinch off the dirty part of the stem and make sure there are no bugs hanging out.  No one wants to eat bugs. ( Or at least..Not to many of them.) 

Dehydrator is filled and there are two trays waiting on the table for the next wave.  I checked the yard for any stray Boletes that could jump in with them.   I think the one trip of Chanterelles have already topped the Field Bolete harvest over the last three days. We shall find out when the drying is finally finished. AND.... The Season has only begun!  So there is a possibility more Boletes and Chanterelles will be found.   I can hardly wait. 

In other news,  the Fireworks will be happening tonight here in Wellman.   Possibly because the 4th falls on a Sunday.  And Sundays are taken very seriously around here... In some areas. Cheryl has a race tomorrow in Davenport, so I don't know if we will be staying up too late to watch them. ( ok, I probably will... But Cheryl will need her Runner's Sleep.) 

Also,  I have been accidentally growing Sunflowers in my Tomato area.  They grew from Bird Seed  and I never had the heart to pull them out.  So now, they are these wonderful bright sunny flowers!  I enjoy them so much I doubt I will be disappointed if I do not get to  enjoy any tomatoes this year.  Cheryl says maybe we should plant the entire front area with Sunflowers and cone flowers.  They certainly remind me of  something very festive and Happy... I may explore that thought in the future.   

Happy 4th of July!  ( On the 3rd)  Depending on where you live.  Davenport will be holding their race on the proper date.. SO I will have to blog about that tomorrow. And I probably will have some Fireworks to show off... We shall see.  Thanks for stopping by.