FLAVORFUL FUNGI Embrace your hunter-gatherer instincts on the next hike in the high country

from Thirst Colorado -- July-August, 2023

THE ART OF DISTILLING Jesse Crock helps State 38 honor Colorado

By Jay McKinney

It may seem rare, but when it does happen to rain in Colorado, the earth literally comes to life. Just go on a hike after a few days of measurable precipitation and you may trip over a giant mushroom that seemed to have appeared overnight, growing like a sponge that just saw water for the first time. Mushrooms are not only a fascinating form of nature, they’re also a culinary treasure that people seem to always have an opinion on. But regardless of where you stand on their flavor, there’s a chance you could be standing on one of Colorado’s choice edible mushrooms when you’re out hiking at the right time and place.

Mushroom hunting is the perfect hobby for experienced people who enjoy hiking outdoors, and spending time in the kitchen when indoors. In Colorado there are a number of choice edible mushrooms that can be found from mid-May to (hopefully) late-September. However, the heart of the season runs from midJuly through August and coincides with the summer monsoon rains in higher elevations.

Two of the most common varieties found in the state are the Colorado Porcini (Boletus rubriceps), aka the King Bolete, and Chanterelles (Cantharellus roseocanus). The Colorado Porcini is one that mushroom hunters get extremely excited about because when it’s out, it can be plentiful.

“I have to say you cannot go wrong with the Colorado Porcini,” says avid forager Kristen Blizzard. “They’re fantastic and very versatile because you can do so much with them. We’ve hunted a lot of different places and I still to this day think Colorado Porcini is the best of anywhere.”

Blizzard and her husband Trent, are passionate about mushroom foraging, launching the Modern Forager website and publishing the book, “Wild Mushrooms: A Cookbook and Foraging Guide.“ While they have moved from their home in Glenwood Springs, they still return to Colorado every August for the peak of the season.

When it comes to finding mushrooms in the wild, there are two factors that will determine success: the type of habitat and the amount of recent humidity in the area. Most of the edible mushrooms in Colorado are found above 10,000 feet and are mycorrhizal, meaning they grow in a symbiotic relationship with trees and their roots.

“There are some areas that may be consistently productive but a lot of it is timing and luck,” says Greg Sanchez, the current president of the Colorado Mycological Society. Without rain and the perfect habitat, the recipe that calls for a handful of chanterelles can be saved for a rainy day (literally). If the stars do align and the edible fungi come to life, get the baskets and bags ready. But before embarking on a mushroom hunting hike, it is crucial to be educated.

PASTA WITH CHANTERELLES, BACON & SHALLOTS

Super-fast, easy and rewarding - this dish offers a ton of chanterelle flavor and is definitely a crowd pleaser. Create your whole meal in the time it takes to heat water and cook your pasta.

Ingredients

Box of shaped pasta, bowties work well

1 lb fresh chanterelles, roughly chopped (can use previously frozen)

3 tbsp butter, divided

1/3 lb bacon, diced against grain into thin strips

Medium shallot

½ cup cream, divided

Pinch of nutmeg

Handful of frozen peas

1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions

Heat oven to 250 fahrenheit. Start your pasta water heating in a stock pot. Sauté fresh chanterelles with 1 tablespoon butter, allowing them to cook and just release their water. Set aside. Do not let thel iquid evaporate as you want to keep the mushrooms wet. Sauté the bacon and while crisping, add diced shallot to the bacon pan. Cook until translucent. Add pasta to stockpot and cook according to package instructions.

Add chanterelle mixture to the bacon. Stir and cook for a few minutes. Add ¼ cup cream and remaining 2 tablespoons butter to a large ovensafe bowl and place in the warming oven. Add ¼ cup of cream to the sauté mixture and stir. Add a pinch of nutmeg and a handful of frozen peas to sauté. Perform this step right at the end, a minute before tossing, so as not to overcook the peas.

Drain pasta. Remove the warming bowl from the oven and toss in pasta and sauté mixture. Add some pasta water if you desire a saucier mixture. Mix in parmesan and enjoy.

Serves 4

Reprinted with permission from Wild Mushrooms: A Cookbook and Foraging Guide (Skyhorse Publishing)

Sanchez warns that there is not one fool-proof way to distinguish whether a mushroom is edible or potentially toxic, but fortunately, with the proper education, one can conﬁdently distinguish those that are safe.

“Luckily the most common, choice edible mushrooms are fairly easy to identify,” he says. “However, there are mushrooms that are look-alikes that can cause bad responses for some people. I think the best thing is to really make sure you’re on point with identiﬁcation.” Those who have a serious interest in mushroom hunting, would be wise to attend the educational classes oﬀered by the Colorado Mycological Society.

In addition to the favorites, Colorado also is home to lesser-known varieties that can be just as tasty. A mushroom called Hawks Wing (Sarcodon imbricatus) exhibits a steak-like texture and is extremely valued in the kitchen. While the Hawks Wing is known to have a strong mushroom ﬂavor, Colorado is unique because it’s one of the few places in the country where it is not too bitter to eat, according to Blizzard.

Another type that can be found in Colorado are Burn Morels. These mushrooms are a specific type of morel mushrooms that only grow in burn areas of mixed conifer forests in the first spring after a fire has occurred. They are also specific to burns that have occurred west of the Rocky Mountains and are dependent on weather conditions. Given the proper rainfall, they can be abundant in a burn area and then they begin to taper off after a couple of years.

“We had an incredible season in the Lake Christine burn a couple of years ago,” Blizzard says. “It happened to be 30 minutes from our house at that point (outside of Basalt), so we were heading up there every day and it was just pounds and pounds of mushrooms.”

While wildﬁres are an unfortunate occurrence, ﬁnding burn morels in the wake of their destruction is a silver lining to mushroom hunters.

“Being in a burn is kind of eerie and a bit emotional, but at the same time it can be beautiful,” Blizzard says. “You witness all this regeneration of life and you’re collecting mushrooms. If there is one thing to get you the bug of mushroom hunting madness it would be hunting morels in a burn.” taddikentree.com golddirtdistillery.com

Regardless of ﬂavor opinions, mushroom hunting is an activity that brings people back to their hunter-gatherer instincts. It involves luck, science, a love for the outdoors and a general appreciation for the connectivity found within nature. In other words, Colorado is a perfect state for mushroom hunting.

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