Claudio Bincoletto hosted another Wild Food Forage today at Petersham Nurseries and I peeped at the preparations in the glasshouse before the group returned from their walk this morning. Mushrooms galore – and I’m glad that Claudio knows his stuff as there were some curious looking fungi on display – plus fruits and berries of every hue. Just glorious and very, very photogenic!
I came home with two mushroom packs that Claudio put together himself, in laboratory conditions, to grow my own Oyster mushrooms –
- Essex Cream Oyster – this mushroom was collected from a wood near Great Horksley, Essex, in October 2001. It has a delicate almond flavour and a good meaty texture
- Sonoma Brown Oyster mushrooms – originally from the Sonoma Valley in California, this is a very tender oyster mushroom with a sweet buttery flavour
- see http://www.mushroomtable.com
The next Wild Food Walk is in Sunday 9th November and focuses on Truffles…
We conclude our series of monthly Wild Food Walks this year with a special event focusing on truffles, sloe and preserves.
We will set out on our local wild food walk as normal, and although we are sure not to find any on our walk – Claudio will be talking all things truffles, from their history, to the types and varieties and traditional truffle foraging methods.
Following the walk we will return for a light brunch, during which Claudio will be offering tastings of white Italian truffle; Perigord and other less known species.
We leave for our walk promptly at 9.30am, which lasts about an hour, after which we will return to the Nurseries for a light brunch and a cooking demonstration by Claudio. Finishing at 11.30am.
Tickets £50.00 (includes walk, light foraged lunch including truffles, tea/ coffee and a glass of wine).
Concessionary rate of £40.00 for students and Slow Food London members.
The Teddington Gardener 