It was quite foggy and it rained a lot yesterday, but it was not a bad day to go mushroom picking on Vancouver Island. My friend Sharon and I covered miles and miles trying to identify new picking grounds without much success, even Jules the Jack Russell Terrier trained to sniff for morels could not discover any chanterelle. Our only encounters were hunters, logging trucks, deer and bear scat. It was only by going back to my usual secret place that we managed to  find clusters of both orange and white chanterelles and filled heavy baskets. We worked really hard for this, bush whacking our way through rough terrain, tree stumps, creeks, going up and down steep banks and of course bending over for each of the coveted chanterelle. Despite the rain, we were never cold and certainly got our exercise for the day and the endorphins  to go with it plus all the joy from bringing nature’s bounty home. I was so tired all I could do for dinner was an omelette.

September 15th

For two servings, clean  enough chanterelles to fill two cups when raw and cut in small pieces. Sauté the chanterelles  in a large frying pan with olive oil for  about 7 minutes on high and turn the heat off. Beat four eggs with 1/2 cup of cream or whole milk and salt and pepper for at least 5 minutes.  Turn the heat back on  medium under the frying pan, add a chunk of butter and pour the egg mixture over the chanterelles and cover. After one minute, bring in the edges with a spatula so that the liquids spread to the sides and cover again. When done, fold over and serve with a green salad and bread or toast.

Chanterelle omelette

Optional add-ons: onions, shallots, garlic, ham (cook with the chanterelles) cheese, parsley  (add on top of the egg mixture before covering).

Note: for a fluffier omelette, beat the egg white separately first then add to the yolks and cream.

Chanterelle omelette with cheese