It’s that time of year again…the time of year when people think about stuffing. This wild mushroom stuffing recipe with chestnuts and fresh herbs is the best I’ve ever eaten. And if you forage for your own chestnuts, well hooray for you and your friends who come to dinner.
Chicken of the Woods (aka sulphur shelf, aka chicken mushroom) actually refers to several mushrooms in the genus Laetiporus. L. sulphureus is generally considered a fall mushroom, and L. cincinnatus is usually found in mid-summer in my part of the world. Both are easy to spot thanks to their vibrant color. Foragers sometimes call them 50-mile-an-hour mushrooms, because they really stand out…
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Cranberries, rose hips, and crabapples are each delicious in their own right, and fortunately for the forager, they ripen at the same time of year. All three fruits are in the sweet-tart category, so I like to combine them in a chutney, which is both sweet and savory. In this recipe they make a gorgeous, jewel-toned condiment that brightens up…
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The American Chestnut Story Early in the 20th century, chestnut blight was unwittingly introduced to the United States, with the importation of Asian chestnut trees by the Bronx Zoo. American chestnut trees (Castanea dentata) had no resistance to this fungal disease, and it quickly devastated the American chestnut population. Chestnut blight doesn’t kill the whole tree, but it does kill the top growth….
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I love Mark Bittman. In a respectful, platonic way, of course. Because like me, Mr. Bittman believes in letting the beauty of the basic ingredients shine through, without overdosing on cream and butter and all sorts of extra flavors. This chestnut soup recipe is a wonderful way to get to know your chestnuts in all their independent glory.