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A few weeks ago, our mushroom foraging friend, Rick advised our son, Will to keep an eye out for hen-of-the-woods mushrooms at the base of oak trees. Will, who is quite good at spotting things, eventually found a truly enormous one growing from the base of an oak tree at his grandma's house next door.
So we went for a walk in the woods to retrieve it a few days ago.
It was a beautiful, warm afternoon filled with the golden light of Fall. I am not at all religious but find it impossible to think about autumn's riotous colors and silent beauty in anything other than reverent terms - glorious, holy, hushed, brilliant, burning...
I wore my rain boots because they give me the illusion of invincibility - like I can go anwhere…
View Full Recipe at The Garden of Eating
%20is%20native%20to%20the%20northeastern%20U.S.%20as%20well%20as%20Japan%20where%20it%20is%20known%20as%20maitake%20-%20the%20%22dancing%20mushroom%22%20because%20people%20were%20supposedly%20so%20happy%20to%20find%20it%20that%20they%20would%20dance%20for%20joy.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIt's%20not%20poetic%20but%20it%20reminds%20me%20of%20a%20brain%20-%20especially%20on%20the%20inside.%20And%20it%20was%20a%20surprise%20to%20find%20a%20few%20centipedes%20and%20a%20salamander%20curled%20up%20in%20one%20of%20the%20mushroom's%20little%20cavities.%20Luckily,%20it%20was%20not%20hard%20to%20relocate%20these%20guests.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20flavor%20is%20fantastic%20-%20so%20much%20depth%20and%20richness%20-%20it%20makes%20you%20realize%20that%20those%20white%20button%20mushrooms%20you%20get%20at%20the%20store%20taste%20like%20absolutely%20nothing%20except%20what%20you%20cook%20them%20with.%20Maitake%20is%20a%20pretty%20meaty%20mushroom%20and%20can%20stand%20up%20to%20long%20cooking.%20I%20like%20it%20cooked%20with%20some%20liquid%20to%20make%20it%20more%20tender.%20Thus%20far,%20we%20have%20eaten%20it%20sauteed%20with%20butter,%20garlic,%20thyme%20and%20oregano%20(MWAH,%20so%20good!)%20and%20also%20in%20a%20mushroom%20risotto%20(also%20delish.)%20And%20there's%20still%20quite%20a%20bit%20to%20use.%20I%20may%20end%20up%20freezing%20some.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIn%20addition%20to%20tasting%20good,%20this%20mushroom%20seems%20to%20have%20both%20nutritional%20and%20medicinal%20benefits.%20It's%20rich%20in%20potassium,%20calcium,%20and%20magnesium,%20vitamin%20B2,%20D2%20and%20niacin%20and%20amino%20acids.%20Memorial%20Sloan%20Kettering%20has%20done%20some%20clinical%20trials%20that%20indicate%20the%20mushroom%20has%20the%20power%20to%20stimulate%20certain%20types%20of%20immune%20cells.%20Maitake%20also%20appears%20to%20help%20regulate%20glucose%20levels%20which%20can%20be%20helpful%20in%20managing%20and%20preventing%20Type%20II%20diabetes.%20%20Paul%20Stamets%20wrote%20an%20interesting%20article%20about%20maitakes%20which%20goes%20into%20a%20little%20more%20depth.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ERight%20now%20is%20a%20good%20time%20to%20look%20for%20hen-of-the-woods%20as%20they%20like%20warm%20days%20and%20cool%20nights.%20Look%20at%20the%20base%20of%20oaks,%20elms%20and%20maples%20(but%20mostly%20oaks)%20in%20the%20forest.%20And%20you%20needn't%20be%20afraid%20of%20accidentally%20poisoning%20yourself%20because%20there%20are%20no%20poisonous%20look-alikes.%20Which%20is%20always%20nice.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFor%20more%20delicious%20recipes,%20gardening%20ideas,%20foraging%20tips,%20and%20food-related%20inspiration%20%22like%22%20the%20Garden%20of%20Eating%20on%20Facebook,%20or%20follow%20me%20on%20Twitter%20and%20Pinterest.%3C/p%3E){kind=link}