Field Blewit, Lepista saeva

AKA: Clitocybe saeva (saeva means fierce, outrageous, angry or strong), Lepista personata (personata means disguised, pretended or false)

IDENTIFICATION:

The Field Blewit is a very variable mushroom in colour particularly.

SMELL: (a good identification feature since very distictive [1] but you will have to get used to the smell first by identifying the mushroom by other means)

Strong and pleasant, perfumed smell [1].

CAP (pileus) colour: (not a good identification feature on it's own)

Beige but drying paler (Collins Complete Guide shows the cap as almost brown as does wikipedia). Peter Jordan says 'Shiny buff which turns brown later'.

CAP form: (not a good identification feature on it's own)

Thick and fleshy, thick and chunky, flesh white and firm, flesh white or flesh coloured. The cap starts out convex, later flatter and can eventually become slightly depressed. 5-12cm diameter. Often rather irregular when growing in clumps [1].

GILLS (lamellae): (not a good identification feature on it's own)

'Whitish and crowded', 'grey-pink gills are sinuate and crowded', 'white to grey-pink', 'light beige'. 'Adnate [1]'. Wikipedia says they are free or emarginate and are cream to light brown with a pinkish tint.

SPORES: (not a good identification feature on it's own but coupled with cap, stipe and gill colour and form it is a good identification feature as far as either L. nuda or L. saeva. Atleast this is what I have gathered from the descriptions I have read ie I don't know this for CERTAIN)

Pale pink

STIPE: (not a good identification feature on it's own)

Streaked bright violet especially near base which is often swollen. No ring. 4-10cm in height, 15-25mm in width (Wikipedia says 25-30mm). Stout cylindrical with slightly swollen base. Whitish ground covered in course violet or blue fibrils.

SIMILAR SPECIES:
Cortinarius camphoratus - ? I think this has a rusty brown spore print ... I also think it is DEADLY.
Cortinarius pupurascens - Cobweb veil, sticky cap, flesh purple and smells fruity, rusty brown spores, POISONOUS/SUSPECT
Cortinarius pseudosalor - Sticky cap, rusty brown spores, POISONOUS/SUSPECT
Clitocybe nebularis (Clouded Agaric) - has grey cap and decurrent gills, also an edible species
Calocybe gambosa (St George's mushroom) - Grows at different time of year (April and onwards during spring I think), lacks violet stipe.

HABITAT: (not a good identification feature on it's own)

Grassland and at the edges of deciduous woodland, on gardens and at roadsides. Often in rings. In pastures in large rings.

EATING:

MUST be cooked before eating and can still disagree with some people. It contains trehalose (I can't remember whether this is the potentially disagreeable substance in it)

RECIPES:

In stews: Chop and add to stews to show off its great flavour, which also enhances game. toasted nuts and strongs cheese.

As tripe: Aromatic taste and jellyish texture are reminiscent of tripe. Remove stipes and chop up stipes finely with equal amount of onions and pack round the cap in a pan with chopped sage and bacon fat. Just cover with milk and simmer for 30 mins. Thicken with flour and butter. Simmer for 15 mins then season. Serve mixture inside a ring of mashed potatoes, with toast and apple sauce.

Omlette filling: Fry them up with onions and copped potato, use as an omlette filling.

I haven't definitely found these yet. I know I've found Lepista nuda (wood blewit) and they were good in the risotto a friend made (the risotto was good, couldn't specifically taste the blewits although I think they had turned even more purple!).

A short guide on L. nuda cultivation (L. saeva may be similar):

http://www.mycelia.be/myc8550.htm

References

[1]Paul Sterry - A Photographic Guide to Mushrooms of Britain and Europe (Copyright 1995: New Holland (Publishers) Ltd

[2] Paul Sterry and - Collins Complete Guide to Britains Mushrooms and Toadstools




Edible and Poisonous Fungi - The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries:

Commercial wild mushrooming damaging forests

Wild mushroom foraging is damaging forests, warn nature groups

Wild mushroom foraging for commercial gain damaging local ecology, say RSPB, National Trust and Forestry Commission

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* Juliette Jowit
* guardian.co.uk, Sunday 24 October 2010 18.30 BST
* Article history

Wild mushrooms Wild mushroom picking for commercial gains in forests and protected areas has become a cause of concern. Photograph: Getty

The fashion for collecting wild mushrooms began with celebrity chefs such as Antonio Carluccio, and has been encouraged by those with a revived interest in local food, such as Jamie Oliver.

This year's wet summer and mild autumn has produced bumper crops of colourful wax caps, common ceps and luscious chanterelles.

But this new generation of foodies and foragers are beginning to trample the forests and fields that feed them – as well as many animals and insects, warn those who look after the UK's woodlands and nature reserves.

Concern is particularly high at some of the country's best-known beauty spots, including the New Forest, Epping Forest, and around the North Downs hills and the Chilterns.

So serious is the problem in some areas that a few big collectors, found with bagfuls of mushrooms from one trip, are being prosecuted. In just one weekend earlier this month, forest managers reportedly confiscated 45kg (100lbs) of fungi at a site near London.

Conservation managers and organisations appear to agree that small-scale collecting for personal use is not the problem. The Forestry Commission and the National Trust organise courses to help people identify safe mushrooms and teach how to collect them without damaging the surrounding landscape. Crucially, collectors are also urged to leave enough behind for the deer, rabbits, mice and insects such as flies and beetles, which also feast on fungi.

Matthew Oates of the National Trust, which is one of the UK's biggest land owners, said: "If one or two people visit a place and pick a few, that's probably not much of a problem. But if a couple of people go there repeatedly, visit the same place and collect as many as possible for commercial gain, that could be a problem."

Not everybody is worried. Carluccio, who has written two books about his passion for mushrooms and presented a BBC2 series on the subject, still goes collecting for his family's use, and believes environmental fears are exaggerated.

Carluccio said that this year's bumper crop, and the parallel reduction in mushroom species that are not collected for eating suggest fungiphiles are not the problem. He also points out that once a mushroom cap is open it has released breeding spores, and that centuries of collection in other countries in Europe, such as Italy and France, have not appeared to lead to long-term damage.

"The mushrooms are there every year, so it's not true that picking mushrooms would destroy the place," Carluccio said.

The chef, who does not use wild mushrooms in his cafes and delis, believes there should be licences for commercial collectors to ensure they behave responsibly, as there are in many other European countries. "There should be more discipline in collecting: not trampling everything, not destroying everything and to be limited to what you can consume. But don't deprive people of the wonders of going to the woods for the mushrooms," he added.

Despite Carluccio's comments, there are plenty who are worried. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said commercial collecting was a growing problem on its reserves near London and other cities. The National Trust is also worried about commercial collectors, especially on the sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) that it manages and warned that it is illegal to collect in protected areas. Several SSSIs are in the New Forest in south-west England, which is managed by the Forestry Commission, which reported that "fungi picking is becoming an increasing problem … with more and more large-scale, potentially commercial picking being observed year-on-year".

Perhaps one of the most visited SSSIs, is Epping Forest, on the north-east edge of London, where keepers report that illegal fungi picking has reached record highs this year. Individuals have been found with five bags full of mushrooms at a time, including poisonous species. This has led managers to suspect they are being collected commercially for sorting elsewhere. The City of London Corporation, which owns the forest, has already issued 20 formal warnings this year. It has successfully prosecuted one person and is currently prosecuting a further six.

"Fungi play a vital role in the ecology of all natural habitats," said Keith French, the forest services manager. "They are nature's recyclers, as they break down organic matter from plants and animals. Many creatures feed on fungi, and they are host to some rare invertebrates that are unique to these ancient woodlands.

He added: "We welcome people visiting the forest and admiring the many fascinating shapes, forms and colours the fungi world has to offer, but please leave them there for the next visitor and future generations to enjoy."
Collecting tips

• Some mushrooms are poisonous: only collect what you know is safe and always carry a field guide to be sure.

• Wildlife need mushrooms too: only collect what you will personally use (about 1.5kg, as a guide).

• Only pick from plentiful populations and do not collect more than half of any one species at a location.

• The bulk of the mushroom is below the surface: take care not to damage it or trample surroundings.

• Mushrooms reproduce by sending out spores when they open: do not pick until the cap is fully open, or after it is past its best.

• On private land and nature reserves ask for permission and advice before collecting.

• It is illegal to collect fungi on Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).

For more advice, read Phil Daoust's guide to picking wild mushrooms

Sources: The Scottish Wild Mushroom Code, published by Scottish Heritage; and Forestry Commission

Quinces, Cydonia oblonga

They are used to make jam, jelly and quince pudding, or they may be peeled, then roasted, baked or stewed. The flesh of the fruit turns red after a long cooking time.

A posh recipe that I can't be arsed making follows (I'm just gonna roast some with sugar and whatever springs to mind then serve with whipped cream);

This is a nice simple dessert. The short quince season will soon come to an end, so it is lovely to enjoy them now.

4 quinces
250g/8oz sugar
2 fresh bay leaves
The peel of one unwaxed lemon
1 vanilla pod, split in half lengthwise
120ml/4oz verjuice
1tbsp crème fraîche

Heat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas2. Rinse and wipe the quinces clean. Quarter them lengthways but don't bother to remove the pith or core.
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Place the quarters (cut-side up) in a baking tray, sprinkle over the sugar, the bay leaves, lemon peel and vanilla, and add the verjuice.

Cover lightly with foil and bake for two-and-a-half hours, turning the fruit a couple of times during cooking.

When the quinces are soft, sticky and a beautiful burnt-orange colour, they are ready. I like to serve these still warm, with a large dollop of good-quality crème fraîche.

On second thought, I may make this recipe since it's more weight specific and contains proportionally less sugar:

Roasted Quince with Cinnamon and Orange

C&C 2008 quince
Ingredients

Serves 6

1.5kg quince,
2 lemons
600ml water
rind of 1 orange, peeled in wide strips, plus juice of the orange
400g caster sugar
1 stick cinnamon

To serve
Double cream or
Brown Sugar & Vino Cotto Parfait
Method

Preheat fan-forced to 90C.
Peel, core, and cut the quinces into eighths and place into water, acidulated with lemon juice. Reserve trimmings.
Wrap and tie quince trimmings in a piece of muslin. Put water, orange juice and rind, sugar and cinnamon stick in a stainless steel saucepan and bring to the boil, then add the muslin bag. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes or until syrupy. Remove and discard muslin bag, reserving the orange rind and cinnamon stick.

Drain quince pieces and place in a shallow baking dish just large enough to fit them all snugly in one layer. Add enough syrup (including reserved orange rind and cinnamon stick) to come three-quarters of the way up the sides of the quince, then cover closely with a piece of baking paper cut to fit the inside of the dish. This keeps the moisture in.

Roast for 8 hours at 90C (overnight), the quince pieces will become tender and the most beautiful deep ruby colour and the pan juices become syrupy. If not, increase the temperature to 120°C and cook until the syrup reduces.

Serve with double cream or, for something a little more special, the Brown Sugar and Vino Cotto Parfait, (Brown Sugar and Vino Cotto Parfait link). Add a squeeze of lemon if the quinces are too sweet for you.