Page 237 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Salt-loving Mushroom, Agaricus

bernardii (AGARICOMYCETES)

Ron Pastorino, CC-BY-SA-3.0

Ron Pastorino, CC-BY-SA-3.0

SALT-LOVING MUSHROOMS thrive in sodium-rich that flares outward at the top.
sands and soils. They are common in maritime habi- SPORES: 6-8 x 5-6 µm, broadly elliptical, smooth; Spore
tats, on lawns, and along roads that are salted during print: dark brown; Cap surface does not turn yellow in
the winter. Fruiting from spring to fall, these mush- KOH.
rooms occur singly, in groups, or sometimes in arcs.
EDIBLE PARTS: cap, stem
CAP: The cap is 2-6 inches (5-15cm) across. It begins
HOW TO EAT: These delicious mushrooms are briny
convex with an inrolled margin and becomes flat,
and nicely firm. They are excellent in salads, and mar-
sometimes developing a central depression. Young
inades, or simply sauteed.
mushrooms are whitish, with a dry, mostly bald
WARM MUSHROOM SALAD: Ingredients: olive oil, 1
surface. With age, they may turn brownish, warty,
tbsp. soy sauce, 3 tbsp. sherry vinegar, 2 tbsp. marsala,
or subscaly. The white flesh is firm and thick. When
2 tbsp. tomato paste, 3 shallots (sliced), 3 lb. (1.5kg)
sliced, it becomes reddish-orange or pinkish, though
mushrooms (sliced), 3 tbsp. lemon juice, butter, sal-
never yellow.
ad greens, ½ cup shredded gouda. Whisk together
GILLS: The close gills are free from the stem at matu-
oil, vinegar, marsala, tomato paste, garlic. Toss mush-
rity. They begin pale pink, becoming brown and final-
rooms and shallots in lemon juice. Sauté in butter and
ly nearly black with age.
season. Serve on greens with vinaigrette and gouda.
STEM: The solid stem is 1.6-3.5 inches (4-9cm) tall, POISONOUS LOOK-ALIKES: A. californicus - flesh
1-1.8 inches (2.5-4.5cm) wide, and equal or narrower
bruises yellow; young whitish gills mature to pink;
at the base. Its exterior is smooth, white, and sheathed
well-developed median to superior ring; phenolic
from below by the veil. The stem bruises reddish.
odor; A. xanthodermus - flesh bruises yellow; pheno-
VEIL: The white veil is thick and membranous. It lic odor; Some white Amanitas - white gills; volva at
sheathes the base of the stem and forms a median ring stem base.
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