This autumn is turning out to be absolutely beautiful! Over the last couple of years, the weather hasn't been kind, and the leaves haven't had a chance to develop their full autumn colours. They wilted early and fell before we could enjoy their beauty.
So, walking through the woods and along the streets around here has been such a pleasure. It's what I would call magical. I don't use that word very often, but I really love the colours of autumn!
Come along for a little autumn woodland walk, a spot of mushroom foraging and of course, a delicious meal at the end! 🍂
I decided to head into the woods to see what I could find, and the beautiful shaggy parasols had all made an appearance.
I was just in time! I was sooo excited because not only are they beautiful, but they're delicious too!
The sunlight was shining through the gaps in the trees, and its reflection on the golden leaves made the whole place look like something from another world. With these beautiful mushrooms sprouting everywhere, it felt extra special.
There were plenty of them, including some young ones like these.
They were sprouting in a sunny spot.
And here is a mature one, growing like an umbrella, hence the name 'parasol'.
Just look at those amazing markings! I absolutely love looking at them.
They were growing quite shallowly, sprouting straight from the leaf litter.
Just a little nudge, and they could easily be knocked over!
So, I was confident these were shaggy parasols (Chlorophyllum rhacodes) and not their close lookalikes, the brown parasols (Chlorophyllum brunneum). One characteristic to look at is the bulb at the base of the stem. The shaggy parasol has a gradually swollen base, whereas the brown parasol has a more distinct, bulbous base with an abrupt edge or rim-like margin.
The biggest one was so enormous that it wouldn't even fit in my basket!
I'm so glad I decided to visit these woods. Finding these mushrooms was such a lovely surprise!
So, I headed home with a basketful of these beauties and decided to make one of my favourite mushroom dishes: stroganoff. It's easy to make and absolutely delicious!
Home and I re-checked my mushrooms with 100% correct ID: a shaggy parasol. They have a dangerous look-alike, so it's always best to be certain!
Many of their characteristics are very similar. Apart from the gradually swollen bulb, the ring of the shaggy parasol has double edge, but you cannot rely on this characteristic alone.
So I cleaned them, brushing off the debris, ready for the recipe...
Beef and Shaggy Parasol Stroganoff
Ingredients:
500g beef steak, thinly sliced
250g mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
250ml sour cream
300ml beef stock
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp flour
Oil, salt and pepper
Method
Heat oil in a pan and quickly brown the beef. Remove.
Fry the onion and garlic.
Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
Stir in flour and paprika.
Gradually add beef stock, mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
Simmer for 5 minutes until thickened.
Return beef to the pan.
Stir in sour cream.
Heat gently until the beef is cooked to your liking.
Add parsley.
Don't boil after adding the sour cream to keep the sauce smooth and creamy!
This beef and mushroom stroganoff is rich, creamy, savoury and comforting!
This is what I like about autumn!
My share in #fungifriday by @ewkaw.
Have a lovely day. Mariah 🍂
