Mission Implausable: Hunting for Mushrooms in Napa Valley

On a Mushroom Hunt in Napa Valley! (Yes, intentionally blacked out – read on.)

My friend Tom Scheibal, who is a local artist, is an ardent mushroom forager.

Over a dinner of fresh chanterelles, which he had just foraged, I asked Tom if I might accompany him on his next chanterelle hunt. His one requisite was that I be blindfolded so that I would not learn where in the deep forest his favorite patch of chanterelles grow – a patch he’s been foraging for 15 years. Hence the shot above – that’s me walking through the forest with a bandana tied across my eyes, on our way to the patch, north of Calistoga.

Mushroom hunting we go! Tom carries a woven, wooden basket in which he will protect his hope-to-be-found treasures… while I wear a blindfold!

After recent, late winter rains, Tom has been picking chanterelles as though he were cropping tomatoes from his organic garden in summer; they’ve been growing like topsy on the wet forest floor. In fact, on his most recent field trip, Tom picked 15 pounds of golden chanterelles (Cantharella cibarius, in case you are taxonomically inquisitive).

He brought them home and his wife, Linda, who is a talented cook, sautéed them lightly in butter, then tossed them with some buttered, egg tagliatelle she had just hand-made. The dish was ethereal, exquisite, light and delicate.

That was the moment, over that plate of pasta, that I asked Tom if I might join him on his next mushroom hunt.

For the record: There are something like 10,000 species of mushrooms in North America, only 250 of which are edible.

“Aha! I think I found one!” says Tom on our field trip into the forest. No, we didn’t see Goldilocks, the Three Bears, or Little Red Riding Hood in the forest, but we sure did find mushrooms.

He was right again!

 

The day's haul.

In case you knew, but have forgotten: a mushroom is a fungus (from the Greek word sphongos, meaning ‘sponge’), not a plant. As such, mushrooms contain no chlorophyll and produce spores instead of seeds. They survive by feeding off other organic matter – the ultimate ‘sponge,’ indeed!

I’m not sure that I would call Tom a mycologist, the word for a fungi expert, but he is certainly a mycophile, someone whose passionate hobby is to hunt edible wild mushrooms.

You aren’t likely to ever taste Tom’s handwork in the forest… we’ve eaten up all the chanterelles he gathered this week, but you can see his latest handiwork this coming weekend; his colorful Horse Head portraits are being exhibited at the Robert Mondavi Winery, starting Sunday March 14.

If you‘d like to attend the opening reception this Sunday, 2 to 4 pm, to meet Tom, sip Mondavi wine and enjoy a few hors d’oeuvres (don’t expect any chanterelles!), you must RSVP by phoning 707-968-2040, or send an email to karen.oneill@cwine.com, indicating how many are in your party.

See you there. But don't ask me where the chanterelles are to be found, because I haven't got a clue!

Comments

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The fungi have a low a low sugar content are also low in sodium and with limited amounts of carbohydrate (4.4%) and fat (0.3%). Being rich in water (90%) have short life, are delicate and should be consumed in a short time after collection, it is appropriate to buy very fresh and keep them in the fridge.

[Taylor Schaeffer]

Hi Jim,

Since you are constantly sharing insightful and helpful thoughts about wine in Napa Valley, we thought that your readers may be interested in winning a trip to Napa Valley through Wine & Burger University for Sutter Home's 20th Anniversary Build a Better Burger Competition. We would love for you to consider posting a post on your blog, tweeting to inform your followers of Sutter Home’s giveaway or consider entering Wine & Burger University yourself.

By taking classes at Wine & Burger University, "students" become eligible to win a trip and monthly giveaways. At Wine & Burger University, students can:
Watch videos on grilling tips for how to create the perfect burger patty or select the best bun
Learn new wine facts like why wine bottles are stored horizontally instead of vertically
Enter to win a trip for two to Napa Valley this September to experience Sutter Home's 20th Anniversary Build a Better Burger Competition in person
Become eligible for our monthly giveaway. This month, we're giving away 10 copies of our new cookbook, "Burger Parties: Recipes from Sutter Home Winery's Build a Better Burger Contest"
The Wine & Burger University has tips and videos for everyone from the beginner chef wanting to test their new grill to the people who are just curious to learn something about wine that they didn’t know before. To enroll and get started, go to www.wineandburgeruniversity.com.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.



I look forward to hearing from you and thanks!

Taylor Schaeffer
Sutter Home’s Wine & Burger University

Sutter Home
Summer 2010 marks the 20th anniversary of Sutter Home Winery’s Build a Better Burger® Recipe Contest. Every year, we call on great cooks from across the nation to ignite their imaginations, fire up their grills and join in on our search for America’s best burgers. With a Grand Prize of $100,000 this year, we’re expecting more recipe entries than ever, as we hope to discover the very best burgers in our two-decade history.

For more information, visit http://www.buildabetterburger.com/