julia Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 My daughter was bored yesterday as her friend had gone to stay with her dad for the weekend, so we decided we would go and see the horses in a field about a mile away. We took a bag and some windfall apples for them and set off. Whilst walking she asked if there would be any blackberries left to pick( there wern't) we passed through an orchard and went to see if the figs were ripe (another week or more maybe) we got th the horses paddock, they were out on a treck, thoroughly fed up as everything she wanted to see or do hadn't been available we set off home a different way. There is a canal with a bridge so we played poo sticks and then carried on walking, "MUSROOMS!" yelled my daughter, I have not got a clue what is good or not but I said we could pick them and ask our elderly neighbour when we got home.Pierette picked through them, she thew away a red one(not poisonous she said , just not nice to eat) a pure white one(same reason) and told us we had struck gold ,we had nearly a kilo of Cepes.So some of them went with last nights meal of boudin noir, tinned peeled tomato and toast. The rest will be dried, as per Pierettes instructions, for use later!I never thought a mushroom could taste soooo good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 I'm a big cèpe fan as well. We get bordeaux cèpes (nothing to do with bordeaux or wine, apparently) and pine cèpes. Our doctor reckons he and his friend gathered 50kilos of cèpes between them last year! It pays to know where to go, obviously, as I've never found more than a couple of dozen when we've gone hunting. Loads of chanterelles, though. And morelles in spring. They all freeze well, by the way, if you can find room for them.Your last night's dinner sounds just up my street! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 We've got some ceps to have with our civet de biche today. Julia, how do you dry them? And Cassis, do you have to do anything before you stick them in the freezer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julia Posted October 1, 2006 Author Share Posted October 1, 2006 According to my neighbour, just slice them, lay them out on kitchen roll/baking parchment with newspaper underneath on a tray. do not let any of them touch or overlap If you have an airing cuboard , place them in there overnight, or leave them in a warm area of the house untill they are dry . store them in jars. apparently they have more flavour this way.I have got the bug now, off out in a while when the dew dries off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 [quote user="St Amour"] Cassis, do you have to do anything before you stick them in the freezer?[/quote]No - just bag them and freeze them. Jude also makes a mushroom sauce and freezes that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hastobe Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 We just had a call from our neighbour to say she and hubby had just picked 20Kg of cèpes!! Apparently a dry spell followed by rain is the secret....but knowing nothing about cèpes I have to take her word for it!Kathie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 I saw one huge cepe in Kew Gardens this afternoon! Loads of other mushrooms too.OK, it wasn't in France, but I did have French friends with me... Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 How big a trailer load is 20kg of cèpes! Blimey! [:-))]I wonder if there's a world record for the biggest cèpe. I'm sure there's one for black truffles.Nope, it's a white truffle.And another for the biggest fungi in general. It's a honey fungus, unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 Not ceps, but giant puff balls. They grew in the field outside our house in the U.K. The biggest one weighed in at just over 5 1/2 lbs and it took me a week to eat.. Just slice into about 1/2 to 3/4 inch slices and fry in butter until it's soft and browned. The flesh is just like the solid part of a white mushrooom, but the complete ball is like that. It tastes slightly stronger than mushroom and the consistancy is a bit like marsh mallow, yummm, yummmmm! Frances (OH) isn't too keen on them so whenever we found any I had to eat them ALL!Back on thread, one of our French friends has offered to take us cep hunting in the Montagne Noire just North of Carcassonne and we are looking forward to that. Probably too late now, but maybe not?[:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 [quote user="Jonzjob"]Back on thread, one of our French friends has offered to take us cep hunting in the Montagne Noire just North of Carcassonne and we are looking forward to that. Probably too late now, but maybe not?[:P][/quote]Not sure about conditions and seasons there, but we pick ceps here well into December. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 I owe him a call. I'll see if it's still on!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSA Aude Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Hi, certainly not too late. Yesterday afternoon a neighbour came round with a huge bag of cepes, during the evening meal another turned up with a wooden box full. Guess what we are having for lunch, dinner, lunch, dinner, ad infinitum!! ps. we are just south of Carca Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob T Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 Just picked a load today they were great. See my blog for more info and pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Katie Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 There are lovely ripe mushrooms round by me at the moment. But unfortunately all the youngsters get there first. Dammitt. Never mind I have some dried in my cupboard but I have not got the same taste for them these days. They are lovely in a nice tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusheslake Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 Just wondered if anyone knew that there is a law in France (albeit a very old one) that forbids picking mushrooms on a Thursday? and also not before 9am on the other days? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Head Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 Been out gathering cep and sweet chestnut this morning AND found a place where wild duck seem to gather but unfortunately I wasn't equipped to 'gather' one so I'll pop back later, I'm thinking about how to combine the ingredients together? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 A large sauspan perhapse?[:D] Don't you have to have a licence to 'gather' ducks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Head Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 I don't know John (nor care very much), the other Chris will know. I think I'll whole bone it and stuff it with the ceps & nuts & truss it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWINKLE Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 [quote user="Chris Head"] I think I'll whole bone it and stuff it with the ceps & nuts & truss it.[/quote]Is that how you treat ALL your birds Chris?[:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 Cor! Cep, nut, stuffed, trussed duck... Sounds a good way to treat any bird to me? How do you bone it, the Chineese way, without breaking the skin? I saw that being done and still couldn't work out how. But remember the old rabitttt reciepttt. First you catch your rabit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Head Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 Only the ones worth tucking into Twinks!I do it the easy way Jon, cut down the backbone and bone out from there, stuff the bird and sew up or use a skewer, turn it back up the right way and there ya go! Sharp knives are important, I use Global and keep them razor sharp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 [quote user="Chris Head"]Sharp knives are important, I use Global and keep them razor sharp.[/quote]I've always had good, sharp knives. Ours are Sabatier and we've had them for years. 2 good reasons for being sharp. 1. they cut clean and 2. they don't cut you.We have a German diamond steel for the sharpening kitchen knives. Same idea as the diamond whet stones and it's briliant. We got it from a stand at one of the Westonbirt chain saw carving daze. He also tried to sell me a pocket DMT diamond whet stone until I produced mine from my pocket. He said he would clean it for me because they were always dirty, but mine wasn't. It don't work as well if it's dirty, so mine is clean. Whoz a smartass? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missy Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 >>>Just wondered if anyone knew that there is a law in France (albeit a very old one) that forbids picking mushrooms on a Thursday? <<<....????... wot?... never heard of that one....just as it is lawful to kill a Welshman wandering within the city walls of Chester, on a Friday...! and that in Deux-Sèvres (79) ladies must write to the 'Préfet' and seek his permission to wear trousers in public!... you'd never believe it but it's true!....Wotszat got to do wiv musrooms and cèpes?... maybe I've had too many of the magic ones !!! .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 Strange but true, MYB. In some departements it is prohibited two days a week, but the Thursday rule applies nationwide, according to a recent article in our local rag. There is also a restriction on the amount you can pick - no more than 5kg per person per day or 10kg for a group of 3 people or more. Fine 135€ for failure to comply - and worse, they'll confiscate your mushrooms. The mushroom police can be clearly distinguished by their characteristic mushroom-shaped helmets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 Mushroom police indeed. I'll bet they look real Richard tétes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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