Porcini (Boletus edulis)

Three friends, two dogs, and I went mushroom hunting in the mountains of northern Colorado. We were a merry group, our good cheer heightened by the pounds and pounds of porcini we found in the conifer forests. They seem to like to grow along trails. I asked my friend Donna why they grow where they grow, and she said, because they are “gregarious.” If that explanation doesn’t satisfy, then it should be known that this mushroom grows in late summer and early autumn, in sunny yet forested areas, commonly on north-facing slopes, during years of good rainfall. They often appear along with the Amanita muscaria, a mushroom that looks as though—with its white-dotted, brilliant red cap—it should star in a fairy tale or, even better, a Technicolor Disney movie, something Bambi would see in the forest during the idyllic portion of his life. But, with toxic qualities, its really more like something a evil witch would give children wondering through the forest, or the hallucinogenic mushroom Alice nibbled on. Don’t eat it. Porcini, on the other hand, are a “choice edible,” meaning they taste delicious. When I got home, I spent hours cutting them up before leaving them out in the sun to dry. Taking care of them was some work, as I had to bring them in at night, so they wouldn’t get dewy, set them out every morning, and then package them in half gallon size jars that I’ve temporarily stolen from the dairyman from whom we get our raw milk. Now these delicacies from a boon year will enrich winter dishes like soups and risottos and act as reminders of summertime, and of my friends Alison and Jerry, who are moving to Seattle next month.