Streamside Porcini
On a soggy Green Mountain morning, I am following a mossy streambank under a mixed canopy of hemlock, ash and birch. My every sense is engaged as I scan the surrounding soil in a search of the peerless porcini. After multiple failed early season attempts, my timing is finally perfect. Kings are back in action, and I let the bloated old ‘flags’ – yellow-pored and squishy stemmed – guide me straight to the prime specimens, mycological royalty camouflaged beneath autumn leaves.
The king bolete, being supremely edible, is alarmingly susceptible to insect infestation; there is always the moment of truth when you slice into the base of your prize for the big reveal. If the stem feels soft and lived in, it is too late, though grade B ceps can be sent to the dehydrator if you don’t mind the extra specks of protein. Unless it’s late autumn or you’re at high elevation, even fresh new buttons commonly suffer from maggots.
Today, the best fruiting bodies are enormous and unblemished in the crisp mountain air, packing impressive poundage into their rock-hard stems. When you’re blessed with pristine porcini, the stems can be every bit as flavorful as the caps, offering a firm but pleasantly meaty texture that releases evocative aromas upon cooking.
Just when I think I’ve reached limits of the patch, a striking yellow fly agaric (Amanita muscaria var. guessowii) captures my attention and demands a photograph. This species is a visually stunning evolutionary marvel, but its warts and volva warn of a suite of toxins that are not to be trifled with. Yet the sight of the fly agaric sharpens my focus and proves to be an auspicious indicator: just a few feet behind the Amanita, the biggest king bolete of the day now joltingly pops into view on the streambank, making me wonder how I nearly missed it.
Heart racing, I bend down to harvest the massive king and inadvertently spook a pool of dozens of little brook trout, already starting to color up like the autumn leaves above. I left my tenkara fly rod back in the car, but I am already beyond satisfied, savoring the peak of a tremendous mid-September flush.
