Puffballs

            Puffballs, most people are reasonably familiar with them and they have had a lot of bad press. Apparently they were not well received by the First Nations Peoples as well. In fact when I was young I hear stories that the mature puffballs releasing their spore could cause blindness.

            Fortunately I was invited to try some puffball steaks sautéed in butter. Once eaten I was  hooked on this delicious morsel. In face it is in second place as my all time favorite mushroom. Most are relatively small and must be picked while they are still immature, white though out the solid flesh. Usually the size is between the size of a golf ball and a tennis ball. Once however I spotted one that was nearly dinner plate size in diameter.

            My mouth was drooling over the thought of rushing home with it and quickly putting it in the frying pan. Unfortunately the inner core had already begun to mature and was slightly yellow in the centre. With heavy heart I set it back down.

            Puffball season is right from the early spring and into the fall. I highly recommend anyone interested in gathering wild mushrooms to get a good mushroom guide book. One afternoon while out with the family and mother-in-law from New Zealand we collected just under 90 different mushrooms. The task of identifying them before they went off was just too great, but it did really spark my interest.

            The picture above was taken just behind our yard, the puffball a little larger than a golf ball. I should have picked it the evening before, but I was hoping to make a nice mushroom omelet.

Rice root (Chocolate Lily)

Rice root bulbs

Rice Root

     Rice root is also known as Indian rice or Chocolate lily. It has a central bulb surrounded by many small bulbs similar in appearance to white rice. Cleaning these tiny bulblets in preparation for boiling is very time consuming, but once in a while for a treat it is worth it. I find the taste and texture a cross between potatoes and rice.

   The plant itself is a perennial, standing anywhere between about 1 foot to 2 foot in height. The flower is bell shaped and nodding, dark brown to dark purple with green to yellowish spots. The odor is a bit like rotting meat. The stems are slender and the whorls of leave tapering.

     Distribution is in meadow or grassy areas from sea level to alpine regions, This particular one is found in the Okanagan, Similkameen , down through th lower Fraser Valley and one to the islands. There is a similar one in the central interior and the northern coastal regions, but I am not familiar with it.

     Before picking some for a treat, look around and make sure the crop can stand a little harvest. Enjoy.

Yellowbells

Yellowbell

Ah!  Spring  is in the air and I can not help but think of wild edibles. The yellowbell while not as plentiful as the spring beauty is a particular favorite of mine. It is a perennial usually about 8 to 10 inches tall with a few long slender leaves at the base of the stem. The yellow bell nodding gracefully on the slender stem. The bulbs can be up to a 1-1/2 inches long in several cloves and surrounded by small bulblets. These bulblets are usually what I find. These have a pleasant nutty flavor and are great eaten alone or in a salad.

These are found in the dry grasslands in the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys. Blossoming time is usually from April to May, but at a higher elevation and cooler temperatures may be found into June. Moderation is the key when harvesting this tasty morsel as with any wild crop. If abundant it could be dried, although I personally prefer them raw or lightly boiled