Sulphur Shelf aka Chicken Mushroom

I found my first Sulphur Shelf mushroom last year.  I almost walked right past it, as it was high in a tree, and I was looking down for mushrooms.  We cut down that first mushroom and marveled at how good it tasted and I've been keeping my head up looking for another since then.

On my way out of the woods the other day a flash of orange caught my eye and there it was, right at hip-level.  Thanks Mr. Sulphur Shelf, that made for much easier harvesting.  This guy was nice and young and tender.  He was bright orange on top and bright sulphur yellow on the underside.

I cut off about half, thanked him for his sacrifice, and skipped to the house to cook them up.  This was a smallish harvest so I planned to eat them right away, rather than cook and freeze them like I might do with a larger flush.

And speaking of larger flushes...

My mother in law spotted this huge one on a dead oak while taking a walk and shared pictures with me.  Having the poker face that I do, I squealed and frantically emailed her asking if I could come and harvest.  She agreed and I came home with about 10 pounds of mushrooms.

This specimen was a bit older than my first one and I had to trim a lot of woody and buggy bits.  Those I tossed in the dye pot.  The rest was sauteed in butter and frozen in serving sizes for this winter.  Sulphur Shelf is one of those mushrooms that freezes really well and it truly does taste like chicken.  It doesn't have any poisonous look-alikes but if you harvest, be sure to leave any that are growing on pine or hemlock.  Look for those growing on dead Oaks, to be safe.  (You can read more here).

Yesterday seemed like soup weather so I pulled out the mushrooms I had sauteed from my first find and tossed them in to a tortilla soup recipe.  Oh so good. 

The results from the dye pot were decidedly ho-hum, so much so that I didn't photograph them.  I'm sure this is because I was using older mushroomes.  I think that with a fresher mushroom the yellow would have been brighter.

So if you see a flash of yellow and orange in the woods this fall, check it out.  It could be your next chicken tortilla soup calling.

Peanut Soup

Snow always puts me in the mood for soup so last night I made up a batch of a rib-sticking, tasty West African peanut soup.  I first tried a peanut soup last year at one of my favorite restaurants, Prairie Bay.   I liked it so much I had to try making it myself.  I found this recipe and I've only made very slight adjustments to it. 

I like making this soup because it's simple but yields a hearty soup that even my kids like.  The chopped peanuts add a great texture against the creaminess of the peanut butter.  The recipe makes a lot so I always have extra to freeze and it keeps wonderfully.  Plus, the smell of the onions, garlic, and peppers cooking makes my kitchen smell like happiness.

Ingredients

2 tbl olive oil
2 med onions, finely diced
2 large bell peppers, finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 28 oz. can of chopped tomatoes with juice (I always add more, either canned or fresh)
8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 18 oz. jar of creamy peanut butter (note: you're looking for peanut flavor, not sugar so try to find the natural stuff, it's usually in the refrigerator case at the grocery store)
2/3 cup coarsely chopped peanuts, shells and skins removed

Directions

1.  Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat.  Cook onion, bell pepper, and garlic about 5 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes with their juice, broth, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes.

2.  Add rice to soup and stir.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 25 minutes or until rice is tender.

3.  When rice is cooked, whisk in peanut butter, stir in chopped peanuts, return to simmer, and serve. 

Do you have a favorite soup recipe to share?