I made my way to the woodland this afternoon. The place was very foggy, and I could only see a meter ahead. I thought it wasn’t the best time for a fungi hunt, but I insisted on seeing where a few baby Enoki were growing. Surprisingly, I found it quite exciting in the fog.
Along the way, I saw a few mushrooms:
This is a fairy puke lichen called peppermint drop lichen or candy lichen. Although I’ve seen many of these, this one was the thickest. It must have been that the fairies had a good booze-up at Christmas.
Further along, I found what I thought was the common bonnet.
I could see the fog swirling around as I examined the mushroom.
A few steps ahead, I spotted a fallen tree with plenty of baby wood ears, something to return for in the next few days.
I eventually reached the tree where the Enoki grew.
It didn’t disappoint me as a few cascaded along the long trunk.
My favourite Enoki (Flammulina velutipes) - velvet shank mushrooms with velvety stalks, hence the name.
I noticed that the tree was possibly dying. Though it looked healthy from the outside, part of the bark had fallen off, exposing the mycelium spreading underneath, possibly all over the tree. I wondered which fungus's mycelium it was. It’s amazing how they spread. Fungi can be invasive under the right conditions. This tree might fall soon.
I picked a few and plan to make something special for Boxing Night.
Enough to make a starter.
As it started to get dark, I made my way out of the woods.
Once home, I prepared the velvet shank mushrooms; I chopped the big ones and removed the stalks as they can be a bit chewy.
I decided to make a simple, easy-to-prepare appetizer... the recipe I created myself.
Wild Mushroom and Cranberry Tartlets ❄️
Ingredients ❄️
12 sheets spring roll pastry
A handful of Wild mushrooms, chopped if they are big
300g onions, minced or chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup fresh cranberries
4 tablespoons mascarpone cheese or soft cheese
250g cheddar cheese (in chunks)
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh thyme leaves
(replace 250 grams of onion with mushrooms if you prefer mushroomy)
Instructions ❄️
Preheat the oven to 375°F (160°C).
Cut the puff pastry into quarter squares and layer them on a muffin tray.
Press and spray with water to keep the edges in place.
Bake for 15 minutes to harden the shell and transfer to a baking tray carefully.
Sauté the onion and cranberry in olive oil until tender.
Add one teaspoon of honey and stir well.
Add the chopped mushrooms.
Top each pastry shell with the mixture.
Add cheddar cheese.
Pine nuts.
Topped each with a dollop of mascarpone, cranberry and mushroom.
Bake for 20 minutes or so.
Or until golden.
Garnish with thyme and serve.
The tartlets are crispy; inside are layers of flavours, caramelized onion, deliciously nutty sweetish velvet shank mushroom, fragrant pine nuts, tart and sweet cranberries, and creamy cheese, with a hint of thyme for a festive flavour.
It’s an easy and delicious starter—a special treat for this Boxing Day!
Wishing everyone a lovely day!
Mariah 😊
