food for free – Carpathian Adventure

Mushroom Picking – Experience Nature and Understand Who You Are

Back in the forests of the Carpathian Mountains of East Slovakia, this time looking for birch bolete and cep (porcini) mushrooms. After seeing the prices of cep (and we’re not going to even mention black or white truffles) in the Italian speaking Istria region of Croatia, and how much visitors are charged to spend aContinue reading “Mushroom Picking – Experience Nature and Understand Who You Are”

Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria)

While I do love hunting for edible mushrooms, nothing is nicer than finding a fairy ring of Fly Agaric deep in the forest. For many years I harvested them but for the last few (including this year) I’ve preferred just taking photos. With the right preparation they’re edible and medicinal. However, I recommend that noContinue reading “Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria)”

Champignon mushrooms!

Finally, we’re starting to see some edible fungi, although still not in any quantities worth mentioning. Winter is fast approaching, which means mushroom season – if there even is one this year – will be short. We found a couple of rings of champignons (Agaricus bisporus), or the common button mushroom favoured as part ofContinue reading “Champignon mushrooms!”

Amethyst deceiver fungus

I love these little mushrooms (Laccaria amethystina) as they add such a contrasting colour to the forest. These were, unfortunately, growing just were I was setting up my hammock (seen on the ground just behind) so I photographed them before they were crushed underfoot

Vice Magazine ‘Munchies’ Interview

I’ve just done an interview with David Whelan of Vice Magazine for their Munchies section. The article turned out pretty positively: Preppers Taught Me How to Eat When the World Ends

The Delicacy and the Deadly

A Birch Bolete growing beneath a Destroying Angel…. Both are abundant at the moment

Twin mushrooms

The mushroom season continues and the forest is now thick with them thanks to the alternating heatwave and rainstorms. These are two Birch Boletes, one of the two fungi we forage for. There’s an old saying locally that when you find one look for its brother….