Comments on: Cep Mushrooms http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms Cooking - Photography & More Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:26:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 by: miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms#comment-7286 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:37:03 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms#comment-7286 Maureen, Welcome to the blog and thanks for commenting. Sounds like a great find! You've done well with the ceps and lobsters and I would have a go at pickling them or preserving them in olive oil with some simple Italian flavours. I cannot say with authority if they would dry but perhaps somebody reading this might know. For those who might not know, lobster mushrooms aren't actually a true mushroom, think of them as a fungi on a fungi which turns a lobster red, hence the name. Good luck with the walks Maureen, kind regards Miles Maureen,
Welcome to the blog and thanks for commenting. Sounds like a great find! You’ve done well with the ceps and lobsters and I would have a go at pickling them or preserving them in olive oil with some simple Italian flavours. I cannot say with authority if they would dry but perhaps somebody reading this might know.
For those who might not know, lobster mushrooms aren’t actually a true mushroom, think of them as a fungi on a fungi which turns a lobster red, hence the name.
Good luck with the walks Maureen,
kind regards
Miles

]]> by: Maureen MUNRO http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms#comment-7243 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:45:12 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms#comment-7243 Out in the woods yesterday, foung some ceps and lots of lobster mushrooms. What is the best way to store the lobsters? Out in the woods yesterday, foung some ceps and lots of lobster mushrooms. What is the best way to store the lobsters?

]]> by: miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms#comment-6709 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:16:14 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms#comment-6709 Elsie, Fried chanterelles in butter-that's all I do with them-you can have my job!! Miles Elsie,
Fried chanterelles in butter-that’s all I do with them-you can have my job!!

Miles

]]> by: miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms#comment-6706 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:36:16 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms#comment-6706 Cid, 'Off topic' comments like this are fine by me. That sounds really nice, decidedly English and it makes me want to drink it. Seriously, I hope you are appreciated for what you do. People like you and, it has to be said, my mother are few and far between and your efforts should find their just rewards. Well done Cid, a joy to read. Miles Cid,
‘Off topic’ comments like this are fine by me. That sounds really nice, decidedly English and it makes me want to drink it.
Seriously, I hope you are appreciated for what you do. People like you and, it has to be said, my mother are few and far between and your efforts should find their just rewards.
Well done Cid, a joy to read.

Miles

]]> by: Cid http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms#comment-6695 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:11:38 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms#comment-6695 Miles, Nothing to do with the scrumptious Cep but can I tell you about my latest brew? Some time back I mentioned that I might make another cordial with plants from the garden. Well I used the same quantity of sugar and water as for elderflower cordial but used instead young stems of angelica, lemon balm leaves plus a whole lemon sliced, a little spearmint and a little tarragon, a splash of orange flower water and 50gm citric acid. 24hrs later and mixed with chilled sparkling water, I have to report that I like it.... now this might not be for everybody, the scent of angelica is quite strong but it was very easy to make. Next spring when the lemon balm is at it's freshest I might just use that as the main flavour. For a winter treat it could be spiced cordial. For parents who worry about additives, this is a good idea but always check that consumers are not allergic to citric acid, apparently some people are which was news to me. Cid ~ bring on the rosehips! Miles,

Nothing to do with the scrumptious Cep but can I tell you about my latest brew? Some time back I mentioned that I might make another cordial with plants from the garden. Well I used the same quantity of sugar and water as for elderflower cordial but used instead young stems of angelica, lemon balm leaves plus a whole lemon sliced, a little spearmint and a little tarragon, a splash of orange flower water and 50gm citric acid. 24hrs later and mixed with chilled sparkling water, I have to report that I like it…. now this might not be for everybody, the scent of angelica is quite strong but it was very easy to make. Next spring when the lemon balm is at it’s freshest I might just use that as the main flavour. For a winter treat it could be spiced cordial. For parents who worry about additives, this is a good idea but always check that consumers are not allergic to citric acid, apparently some people are which was news to me.

Cid ~ bring on the rosehips!

]]> by: miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms#comment-6674 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:51:17 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms#comment-6674 Cid, Cepes do house a mass of 'tubes' which collectively look like a sponge. I would just wipe them clean with a fine brush. The head and stem can be seperated and sliced evenly. Miles Cid,
Cepes do house a mass of ‘tubes’ which collectively look like a sponge. I would just wipe them clean with a fine brush. The head and stem can be seperated and sliced evenly.

Miles

]]> by: Elsie Nean http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms#comment-6673 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:49:41 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms#comment-6673 Miles, Thank you for this timely blog. The dish you describe sounds delicious. I got hooked on porcinies in Italy. As you say they are not cheap but you only need relatively little. The flavour is so much more intense. The only ceps I would feel comfortable at finding and eating are chantrelles, I could smell them before I spotted them in the woodlands amongst the fallen leaves. My family then fried them in butter for supper! Elsie Miles,
Thank you for this timely blog. The dish you describe sounds delicious.
I got hooked on porcinies in Italy. As you say they are not cheap but you only need relatively little. The flavour is so much more intense.
The only ceps I would feel comfortable at finding and eating are chantrelles, I could smell them before I spotted them in the woodlands amongst the fallen leaves. My family then fried them in butter for supper!
Elsie

]]> by: Cid http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms#comment-6638 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:16:34 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms#comment-6638 Miles, Years ago I went on an organised fungi foray which involved a fair bit of walking around the woods in groups. Since I was on my own I quickly attached myself to a group of safe looking middle aged women, the alternative didn't appeal much... middle aged men or families with loud children. How time changes us, now I'd probably opt for one of the alternatives :) Anyway I digress, back to the fungi. Our group was the only one to find a penny bun or cep. It was huge and as I remember had sort of spongy gills, my question is do we eat this or scrape it off? As you say Miles, the dried version is readily available in supermarkets and deli's, full of flavour and a wonderful addition to the kitchen pantry. Would it be a good idea to send your brother on a fungi foray in his locality..... send him in with a compass and some flares or he might get lost :) One must remember to book well in advance as they always used to be popular. For Lincolnshire folk, check the 'What's On' from your district council. If there's nothing try North Kesteven. How tragic that chemists in this country don't offer the same service as in France, who gladly identify the fungi before you eat them. Cid Miles,

Years ago I went on an organised fungi foray which involved a fair bit of walking around the woods in groups. Since I was on my own I quickly attached myself to a group of safe looking middle aged women, the alternative didn’t appeal much… middle aged men or families with loud children. How time changes us, now I’d probably opt for one of the alternatives :) Anyway I digress, back to the fungi. Our group was the only one to find a penny bun or cep. It was huge and as I remember had sort of spongy gills, my question is do we eat this or scrape it off?

As you say Miles, the dried version is readily available in supermarkets and deli’s, full of flavour and a wonderful addition to the kitchen pantry.

Would it be a good idea to send your brother on a fungi foray in his locality….. send him in with a compass and some flares or he might get lost :) One must remember to book well in advance as they always used to be popular. For Lincolnshire folk, check the ‘What’s On’ from your district council. If there’s nothing try North Kesteven.

How tragic that chemists in this country don’t offer the same service as in France, who gladly identify the fungi before you eat them.

Cid

]]> by: miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms#comment-6623 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:33:20 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms#comment-6623 Rod, Probably hard to find fresh around here in a local store but sliced and dried porcini are common. They aren't cheap but a little does go a long way. Miles Rod,
Probably hard to find fresh around here in a local store but sliced and dried porcini are common. They aren’t cheap but a little does go a long way.

Miles

]]> by: Rod http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms#comment-6621 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:14:56 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/cep-mushrooms#comment-6621 Miles they look superb, I wonder arethey available generally in decent supermarkets or only specialized outlets ? Cheers Rod Miles
they look superb, I wonder arethey available generally in decent supermarkets or only specialized outlets ?
Cheers
Rod

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