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01/10/2008, 21:07 J.R's gone native Joined on 16/07/2006 Picardie, Sussex Posts 2,841 Re: French foragers unite! Does she really want to go and pick them or write an article about it?    Report

01/10/2008, 21:10 sweet 17 Joined on 05/08/2006 charente maritime Posts 4,177 Re: French foragers unite! JR, what do you think, she's a journalist, isn't she?    Report

01/10/2008, 23:00 Junlesley Joined on 23/08/2004 Vindefontaine (50) Posts 107 Re: French foragers unite! To get back on the subject..... We also have our own vegetable garden, its only been our first year of growing things but the satisfaction is brilliant, we were given some runner bean seeds last year, just taken off a friends old plants so didn't cost anything, well we've had the most fantastic crop of beans and we have given loads to our French neighbours who had'nt tried them before, along with instructions on how to prepare them for cooking, now they all want seeds 'grains' to grow next year so all our French neighbours will be growing runner beans next year! and another bonus is we've had lots of vegetables in exchange! June Price Priceless Pets Vindefontaine (50)    Report

02/10/2008, 9:20 Editor - France Magazine Joined on 13/02/2008 Posts 20 Re: French foragers unite! Glad it's got a few of you thinking...! I'm just after a few comments for my column on the Times' website. Here's last month's so you can see what I'm talking about... http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/destinations/france/article4661688.ece Thanks! Carolyn   FRANCE Magazine, Britain and North America's best-selling magazine about France since 1990.    Report

02/10/2008, 9:36 Clair Joined on 23/08/2004 Forum Moderator based in the Lot (46) Posts 9,876 Re: French foragers unite! Carolyn, if you were to ask a French person to reveal his/her foraging spots, you'd most probably get short thrift! (in the nicest possible way) Those who will tell you or show you where to pick ceps or chanterelles are few and far between. These are carefully guarded secrets, shared only with close relatives . The communal woods around us are very popular with "outsiders" who pick ceps to sell at regional markets and the local concern got such that the mairie provides a card for legitimate pickers, who have to prove they live in the commune. My neighbour always beats me to the blackberries and she makes over 40 kg of jam every year . We pick hazelnuts, walnuts and chestnuts and as long as they are dried for a few days, they'll keep and we'll get to enjoy them for months. Clair Real Virtual French Person    Report

02/10/2008, 11:50 odile Joined on 09/05/2008 Midlands + Swiss Jura Posts 1,452 Re: French foragers unite! Hi Clair - to me it seems a shame that English people 'only' know about ceps (bolets in the East of F.) and chanterelles. Of course it is very important to pick only what you are sure about - as several people get very sick and even die every year. but there are so many other species of wonderful edible mushrooms out there to gather at this time of year. If any of you are unsure, send me a picture and I'll advise - ONLY IF I AM ABSOLUTELY SURE - I was born and bred in the woods, and dad taught me (almost) all there is to know... (not boasting about my knowledge here, but his!). Here in East Leics I found some parasol mushrooms the other day, and a couple of blewitts and bluelegs. One of my dad's favourite (this maybe the first year he won't go- he is 96- will try to take him out when I'm there in October) - is the hygrophore (Hygrocybe coccinea) or Scarlet Hood. it looks absolutely deadly, but tastes like chicken or frogs' legs (I wouldn;t know about this, as I don;t eat les grenouilles). Get yourself a good book, there are 100s on the market in English or French. I have about 5 for cross reference. The classic one ios 'Mushrooms and other fungi of GB and Europe' by Poger Phillips  Pan Books  0-330-26441-9 with large photos and good descriptions. by the way the same guy has also written 'Wild Food' - a great source of info for foragers, incl plants, mush + seaweed. Pan Books 0-330-28069-4 with recipes. I also remember 'Food for Free' book - but it's on a shelf in our Jura house, so don't have the ISBN. Allez, tous aux champignons and tell me what you find.    Report

02/10/2008, 12:00 Cat Joined on 21/01/2005 ------- Forum Moderator ------- Lot Posts 4,026 Re: French foragers unite! A bit of a sweeping statement to say that English (British?) people only know about cepes and chanterelles.  My mushroom "bible" is http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/ Cathy Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.    Report

02/10/2008, 12:06 Clair Joined on 23/08/2004 Forum Moderator based in the Lot (46) Posts 9,876 Re: French foragers unite! Odile, after the latest mushroom poisoning cases (reported here) and considering the newspaper article in question is primarily addressed to British people in the UK (who do not usually make a habit of picking mushrooms), it is probably best to steer on the safe side and stick to the usual. Clair Real Virtual French Person    Report

02/10/2008, 12:22 odile Joined on 09/05/2008 Midlands + Swiss Jura Posts 1,452 Re: French foragers unite!  Cat wrote: A bit of a sweeping statement to say that English (British?) people only know about cepes and chanterelles.  My mushroom "bible" is http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/ no offence meant - but they are the 2 mentionned again and again in articles, this or other forum and TV. Really do agree about safety - but strangely enough it is most often mushrooms that look very similar to ceps and chanterelles or field mushrooms, which cause problems- and not the strange looking ones. Parasol mushrooms for instance couldn't be confused with poisonous species. Bonne chasse aux champis    Report

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France Forum » French Culture » French Food and... » French foragers unite!

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