• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

It’s a beautiful, late summer morning in Cutler Park just off Route 128 in Needham. Walkers and joggers are out in force taking in the serenity of the forest and the wildflowers along the Charles River. But I’m not there to bask in the sun and take in the scenery. I’m with a small group of people, who, armed only with wicker baskets and eagle eyes, are looking for something for more than a walk in the park — they are looking for mushrooms. They are all members of the Boston Mycological Club and they are on one of their weekly forays, searching for mushrooms of all shapes, sizes and varieties, in the parks and woods around Boston.

With the summer’s heat and the drought, it has been a lean season for mushrooms. But Ellen Penso, who is the club’s point person for this week’s walk, is cautiously optimistic. There had been a solid, mid-week rain, so conditions were better than they had been in months. As the various foragers returned and emptied the contents of their baskets onto a large table at the edge of the parking lot,  it became clear there had been some successful hunting. There were all sorts of mushrooms from spongy boletes to the aptly named puffballs, a hen of the woods, to a few, quite poisonous, amanitas.

The process of sorting and identifying the mushrooms gathered is one of the most fascinating parts of the foray. The background of the club’s members is as varied as the mushrooms themselves. They range from relative newcomers to expert mycologists who are able to discern and discuss the fine details of mushroom morphology since often a tiny detail will distinguish one type from another. The origin of each member’s interest in these mysterious fungi is equally diverse. Some are interested in them for their medicinal properties. Some others are artists or photographers intrigued by their aesthetic qualities. And, then, of course, there are those who are interested in so-called “choice edibles,” such as chanterelles, chicken mushrooms, some varieties of boletes, honey mushrooms and the like.

A taste for the wild mushrooms, Penso reckons, is what first attracts the majority of members to the club, but almost invariably they’re drawn to other aspects of mycology. “It’s a really interesting hobby,” she says. “Usually we have hundreds of specimens on the table. You come to realize you often cannot take a step, wherever you may be, without stepping on some kind of mushroom. As you come to events like this and learn more about mushrooms, a whole new world is opened up to you. It’s really fascinating.”

Mushroom foraging and identification is complicated and quite challenging — the club members were sorting, identifying and discussing the day’s mushrooms for well over an hour and a half. So in some respects this is a cautionary tale about looking for edible mushrooms. You want to be sure that you know exactly what you’ve got. With some knowledge and guidance, however, you can learn to suss out the tasty stuff. One of the best (and most enjoyable) ways to learn about mushrooms is through walks, such as this one. Of course, there’s no guarantee you’ll end up with a meal. Most mushrooms aren’t poisonous, but most also aren’t very good to eat. At the Cutler Park foray, there was a table full of beautiful mushrooms, but there was very little that was actually edible. You wouldn’t get much of a meal out of this particular walk, but who knows what next week’s might bring, especially now that autumn (peak mushroom season) is upon us.

For more information on the club and its activities, which include lectures, dinners, and other outings visit the Boston Mycological Club website. The weekly forays run from the Spring through the Fall.

Should you find a American matsutake mushroom (tricheloma magnavalare), here is a recipe from BMC member, Ellen Haiken. “This will bring grown men to tears,” she says. “Or proposals, anyway.”

– Clean and slice matsutakes very thinly.
– Saute in a little butter over medium heat, and add as much cream as you dare.
– Continue to slowly reduce until the mushrooms have absorbed the cream.
– Add more thinly sliced mushrooms and cream as needed to use them all up.
– Toss with properly cooked pasta.
– Salt and pepper to taste.
– Add enough freshly grated Parmesiano Reggiano to make it grand without overwhelming the`rest.