More Mushrooms

Ciara, Taleia and I went musrhooming last Wednesday. We tried a new spot closer to the ocean and it was beautiful. We saw a herd of elk, a Douglas Squirrel (about 2 feet from us) and a ton of mushrooms. The weather was also great and made pushing through the thick brush to find chanterelles easier to take. We ended up with about three pounds of chanterelles and lobster mushrooms, enough to cook up some now and put some up for storage.

Here are some pictures of us cooking up the lobsters.

Lobster Mushrooms

Yesterday, we dropped the dogs off at Club K-9, and drove out to the Salmon Huckleberry Wilderness, on the southern side of Mt. Hood.  On the hunt for more mushrooms.  We discovered and identified some chanterelles, bloody milkcaps, and lobster mushrooms.

Lobster mushrooms aren't exactly a mushroom.  It's a parasite, that attacks other mushrooms and completely takes over.  They smell and taste like lobster (or what i imagine lobster to  smell and taste like, i've never actually had lobster).  You can buy them in the supermarket for around $15/lb.  Or you can gather them for free in the woods.  They are really easy to identify and due to their bright colors, pretty easy to spot. 

Willis made a delicious tofu and lobster mushroom dinner.  He found the recipe here.  Below is his version (very similar with a few modifications).

Tofu and Lobster Mushrooms in Ginger Broth


1 ounce lobster mushrooms
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon ginger root, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
8 ounces firm tofu, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon mellow red miso
1 cup wild rice, cooked

In a medium-sized saucepan, simmer the mushrooms in the water for 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms to a cutting board and pour the mushroom broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a 2-cup measuring cup. Add enough water to reach the 2-cup mark, and return the broth to the pan. Chop the mushrooms and add them to the pan, along with all ingredients except the miso.
Simmer on very low for 15 minutes. Stir miso into 1/4 cup water until it forms a smooth paste and add it to the tofu. Stir gently and return to heat for about 1 minute, and then serve over rice.