Noice!

I've spotted the odd Cep (beletus edulis) on our recent roams, for the most part nibbled or gone over. Though this morning was my first opportunity to gather some, a tidy little haul, enough for a handful of breakfasts, and from exactly the sites I'd expect. As with all the resources you gather out, there are those spots that you'll check first in a season, and with good reason too, they almost always deliver.

Ceps

I'm going to suggest that barring any surprise late flushes or the occasional rouge individual, the Cep (beletus edulis) season is over; around my roams at least. Of course I'll give my usual caveat that that's not to say they're not out in other places. Personally I've seen less than a handful of fresh Ceps pop up in over a week now; and I’ve been lookeding. So what's this season amounted to? Well, it's not been a bumper year though nor has it been a total washout either. Over the last few weeks I've collected enough for several tasty fresh mushroom brunches and an ample quantity to dry for soups and stews; which is always my primary goal. So you'll be hearing no complaining from me; I'm just grateful for what I've collected. 

Sack o shrooms

Mushroom season continues; it's not a barn stormer though nor is it a damp squib. If you're after some fungi treats you needn’t look too far or too hard, that said, they're not going to jump out at you so you still need to put some work in, and if you do, and you're lucky, you'll be rewarded. Over our walk I collected a medium sized pouch worth (enough for mushroom/egg butty, and for three A3 sheets drying), easily leaving behind more than I cut; they're nice eaten fresh, although their real value flavour wise is when they're dried and added to soups, stews etc. There's never a guarantee as to how long or how bountiful a mushroom season will be; I'm just grateful for whatever nature gifts me, and try and use said gifts to best effect.