Favourite season

[Carltonian Man]

Popped out on Saturday and found 3lb of parasols, 2.5lbs of wood blewits, a handful of chestnuts and 2lb of rose hips. (Also left some of each behind to drop their spores). Feeling really pleased with our haul we were just making our way back and came directly across a very freshly killed and de-bonced wood pigeon. Most probably a hawk kill which had took flight before we saw it. Unlikely the hawk would return so we bagged that as well.

[Hedgehogpie]

Supper's up!

Jus' being nosey, what recipes do you use with your parasols? They're a particular favourite of mine & there's been an excellent crop round here this season. My personal favourite is to cook them in a tempure style batter & serve with an oriental dipping sauce.

[Urban Ayisha]

that looks incredible!! well done you!
i was gonna answer to this thread, with, 'yes, my favourite season too' (lookswise, apart from maybe summer. or spring. ok i love em all!).... i really feel we've had a PROPER autumn this year if u know what i mean. the last 2 summers were such a washout that it felt like we sprung straight into winter, with none of the beautiful colours on the trees, crunchy leaves under foot, sunny yet brisk mornings, wee squirrel nutkins running about or sunsets turner himself could have only imagined.....! is it actually proven its been more 'autumnul' this year or am i just being overly romantic!!

[Hedgehogpie]

No, I'd agree with that. It's lovely out there at the moment.

[thesunflowergal]

Wow thats fab haul Carltonian Man

Feeling a little at the moment, as I can't go out and forage for anything due to looking like a whale lol. But on the upside I have massive plans for next summer and autumn

[grahoom]

Wow, that's some foraging goodness right there! excellent

[Carltonian Man]

Hi HHP

Jus' being nosey, what recipes do you use with your parasols? They're a particular favourite of mine & there's been an excellent crop round here this season. My personal favourite is to cook them in a tempure style batter & serve with an oriental dipping sauce.

Cooked in tempura sounds very interesting, I'll have to look into that one. We're a bit more boring I'm afraid, we just cut them into wedges and fry in a little butter until the flesh is like scallops and the scales are nutty and brown. From here they're eaten as is with a sprinkling of sea salt and black pepper or dropped into a frittata, risotto or similar (I love mixed wild mushroom frittata)
Some of the stalks can be added to a general stock, they contribute a delicately rounded background flavour and an almost silky texture. I must say, of all the fungus they're my favourite too, especially the drumsticks. We tried drying some last year but they went very papery and could only be really used in a meat casserole (saying that, they were a tasty thickener).

Thesunflowergal
Hang in there, thinking of you next week in particular around the 10th. Let us know how you get on

Kind regards
Martin