The PaddlerUK magazine May 2015 issue 2 | Page 58

ThePaddlerUK 58 Another good foraging food is fungi I restrict my collecting to a few that are distinct and truly good eating. Usual caveats apply – consult a good book with good quality photographs (Roger Phillips - Pan Books) or best of all get somebody who knows to show you or go on a foray. Giant Puffballs are easy to identify – large, white, round and usually in meadows or hedgerows. Pick one that is firm and has a hollow sound when you tap it and slice in half-inch tranches and fry in oil or butter. Chanterelles, if you are lucky enough to find them, are orange/yellow, smell of apricots and are usually hiding in mossy banks. They do not have gills but knobbly ridges running down the outside of the cap that peters out on the stem. Gently fry with a little garlic and fold into some beaten egg for a unique omelette – wonderful! Boletus Edulis (penny bun,