TEST

On the 29th of April, I finally managed to find some morels.  As I mentioned previously, I am certainly not great morel expert. Every year I have a hard time to find enough for several meals. Very rarely is there a surplus to dry or preserve in any other way. Following tips in the literature and on the web doesn't really help. I am convinced that insufficient knowledge of trees is the main reason. [Best_Wordpress_Gallery id="40" gal_title="Morels 1 2017"] From the pictures it is obvious that mushrooms are still too young to be picked. Recent DNA analyses show that at least a dozen different morel species exist in North America. For me, dividing them into black and yellow is still fine.  As far as I can tell, these specimens are of the black variety. The differences between species of morel never made any impact on culinary results, as far as I can tell. For some reason the false morel is a pretty rare find in my area. But when I do find them, they are quite impr

It is the middle of April and all mushroom enthusiasts are thinking about morels.  However, in South-Western Ontario, overnight temperatures still dip down to around 0° C and even into the minuses, telling me that morel season is still a couple of weeks away. The other plants, edible and not, are progressing well. Chicory is now really best to harvest and can be consumed as a salad or a cooked vegetable. This plant is not native to North America and usually can be found around human habitats. It sometimes looks very much like dandelion, but it's leaves have fine hairs on the underside, while the dandelion leaf is totally hairless. Dandelions are everywhere and quickly preparing to bloom. It is a good edible and one of my favorites. The perfect specimen for picking looks like this: The Stinging Nettle is starting nicely. It is an excellent spinach substitute in any recipe. Coltsfoot (http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/coltsfoot.htm) can be spotted on the edge of fields

After some weather roller-coaster in March, April started with beautiful weekend. It was a chance to go and check trails. The woods are still without traces of leaves, allowing a lot of sunlight to reach forest floor. However, it will take several days with positive overnight temperatures to really get plants going. The plants taking advantage of the abundance of sunlight on the ground will start first - ramps etc. The one of earliest starters is already around - Skunk Cabbage. This plant is beautiful, but poisonous. I did not have an opportunity to go and check my usual ramp spots, but I am sure they are already couple of inches tall. The Stinging Nettle, Dandelion and Chicory are still nowhere to be seen. As far as mushrooms go, there is some brave cup mushrooms growing, mainly on the logs. Unfortunately cups acted like slimy reflectors, so my photos are not great. There is some last year growth of Turkey Tail that persisted over winter   Fiddle heads are still couple of weeks away.