It's Mushroom Season!

Last year Nick and I dabbled in a bit of mushroom hunting, but without the knowledge we were too scared to eat anything, and identifications seemed complicated and dangerous!  We usually identified everything as poisonous or "no idea what that is" but yesterday we had a major break through!  We identified this bad boy as a Bay Bolete.

And we're convinced enough to eat it.  But we haven't yet.  I will let you know how that goes.  Unless of course I'm dead.  Knock on wood.  

Also this nifty website, Wild About Britain, has a forum where you can post your mushroom pictures and people can help you identify them.  So you have to be a little trusting, but it seems like a great learning tool when you just can't find the right pictures in the books or you want a second opinion.

Speaking of books, the one that is our favorite is Mushrooms : River Cottage Handbook.

Have you been mushroom hunting?  I highly recommend it, it's like a treasure hunt for epicureans.... which Lord knows most of you blogstars are!