Searching for 'Shrooms

Two mushroom enthusiasts hunt for the fungi all over the country, including 417-land.

What is the difference between game-hunters, anglers and mushroom-hunters? “Nothing,” according to Marty Marshall of Branson. “It’s all about the hunting and then all about the eating.”

Marty and his wife, Maryann, were first exposed to mushroom-hunting in the 1980s while traveling in the Canadian Northwest Territories. They noticed locals collecting mushrooms along the side of the road. So they bought a book, read up on mushrooms and set out in search of edible fungi. The first mushrooms that they found were Shaggy Manes or Inky Caps. They picked a couple of pounds, took out their Coleman camp stove and sautéed them with some vegetables. After that, they were hooked.

They’ve continued to travel throughout the United States and Canada, and their favorite thing to do when traveling is to hunt for mushrooms. “We study them, pick them and look for locals to show us how they cook them,” says Marty. Like many mycologists, their favorite mushroom is the morel. Morel season in 417-land is from late March through mid-April. In April 2006, Marty found a morel that was about the size of a soda can. That’s considered a rare find since most morels found in this area are 1 to 3 inches tall.

Like game-hunters and fishermen, the Marshalls need patience to be successful. “You must look carefully through leaves and go slow in your search,” Marty says. “If you find eight or nine under one tree, you’ve hit a bonanza.” Marty says morels tend to like moist areas near elm and ash trees. When he finds them, he cuts them at the stem with a knife and taps off the spores to continue propagation. He explains that morels have a two- to three-year gestation period and require the right root structure, or mycelium, underground to sustain a colony.

The Marshalls’ favorite way to prepare morels is in a stroganoff over noodles or mashed potatoes. Maryann says that the best thing about mushroom-hunting is that it gives the couple exercise and time together. “But coming home and eating them is not bad, either,” she laughs.

Mushroom-hunting online:

morelmushroomhunting.com
morels.com
thegreatmorel.com