CREAM OF FOREST FORAGED WILD MUSHROOMS

Eating and foraging your way around the Pacific Northwest will lead you to some hot spots. As a wild food-driven chef, I also factor in what a sustainable harvest is to ensure I’m not impeding on the land and hoarding too many wild ingredients. Some of my favorite hot spots are the Olympic Peninsula and the Willapa Bay. It seems as though everywhere you look and everywhere you go there is food under your feet. Whether oceanside or bayside, the area gives up so many kinds of wild edibles. Including several varieties of seaweed, sea beans, goose tongue, oysters, razor clams, gooseneck barnacles, and many types of many mushrooms. Yes, that includes the hallucinogenic kind. For many years I've foraged King Boletes, Pacific Golden Chanterelles, Morels, Saffron Milk Caps, and Azzies.

Living on the peninsula you quickly learn that the fall and late fall months are the best time to forage wild mushrooms. Just be sure to bring your rain jacket. Since the area is such a microcosm of so many different environmental pockets you get a lot of wild mushrooms popping up together at the same time. For me this time of year keeps the dehydrator going 24/7 and usually has me putting up three or four dozen jars of pickled mushrooms and eating mushroom dishes day in and day out. Walking through the dunes along the Pacific Ocean the trained forager will quickly identify the Azzie. Easily recognized by their small brownish tops, the true test is the bluing on the stems shortly after being plucked from the sandy ground. In years past I could easily pick several pounds in an afternoon although with climate change the area is giving up less and less every year. This simple cream of wild forest forage wild mushroom soup is a true example of what people mean when they say that a certain dish has a true taste of place. Every time I make or consume this soup, it quickly reminds me of where the evergreen forests meet the tumultuous Pacific Ocean, and the wild Azzies dance through the dune grass. I kept the dosage low to keep for an adventurous and super mellow afternoon or evening you can easily increase the dose to your liking.

CREAM OF FOREST FORAGED WILD MUSHROOMS

DETAILS

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Total THC/CBD: depends on the potency of the products used

Status: mellow mushroom soup from the cannabis pantry: cannabis bacon fat, cannabis balsamic vinegar, cannabis butter

Chef’s cultivar recommendation: Trinidad OG

PROVISIONS

2 tbsp cannabis infused bacon fat

1 tbsp cannabis infused butter

7 cloves garlic (peeled,crushed, and rough chopped)

1 large, sweet onion (peeled and small diced)

1½ lbs misc. wild mushrooms such as chanterelles, morels, or porcinis (rough chopped)

½ cup caramelized onions

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ tsp fresh rosemary (chopped)

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

¼ cup dry mushroom mix

¼ gram dry psilocybin mushroom (preferably blue meanies or golden teachers)

1 tbsp cannabis infused balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp kosher salt

1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

6 cups mushrooms stock,chicken stock, or water

1½ cups heavy cream

2 cups thick sliced or torn misc. wild mushrooms

3 thyme sprigs for garnish

2 tbsp cannabis infused creamery butter

Salt and cracked black pepper

DIRECTIONS

In the saucepan over medium-low heat, add the bacon fat and butter then the onions and garlic, and sweat until the onions have just turned translucent.

Then add the sliced mushroom mix, the rosemary, thyme, and sauté over medium heat for8-10 minutes. stirring occasionally, add the flour to create a roux stirring well to combine.

Add the stock, dry mushroom mix, caramelized onions, salt and pepper, balsamic vinegar, and simmer over medium to low heat for 25-30 minutes stirring occasionally. (if the mixture is looking like it needs a little extra liquid, I would add additional stock here)

Add the psilocybin mushrooms and simmer an additional 10 minutes.

In a high-speed blender or with a handheld immersion blender, puree the soup to your desired consistency adding back to an empty pot.

Stir in heavy cream and adjust the seasonings with additional salt, pepper, balsamic, and thyme if desired.

For the garnish sauté the thick cut mushrooms of your choice in butter until butter is slightly brown and nutty. when done, add the fresh thyme leaves and stir to combine well. remove from heat.

Garnish each soup with several sautéed mushrooms, pan drippings and thyme sprigs.