This spicy dish originates from Sichuan province in China. In most Chinese American restaurants it is served with pork. My meatless version showcases the Jerusalem artichokes (aka sunchokes) that we harvest in our backyard in the fall. Be sure to prepare the wood ear mushrooms at least 4 hours ahead of cooking time. Enjoy.

Although we have stayed close to home throughout the COVID pandemic, venturing out mainly for shopping, picking up library materials and occasional walks beyond our neighborhood, we found the call of the wild irresistible this autumn. The hunt for mushrooms beckoned.

We reveled in the welcome awakening of our senses to the changes of light, texture, sound, temperature, aroma and movement over trails, logs, rocks, sand and duff. The awesome wonder of discovery in places we had never been to (or revisited) was so seductive. Though we did not have a banner year as far as mushrooming goes, we did find a few forest delights: a few pounds of lobster mushrooms, a couple of matsutakes and a pound of oyster mushrooms cropping out on a fallen tree log. We feasted on lobster mushroom risotto for Thanksgiving. The matsutake became the star ingredients in a Japanese rice dish and broth. An oyster mushroom quiche was the feature of our recent Sunday brunch menu.

Shortly after coming to Oregon 13 years ago, we joined the Oregon Mycological Society. They sponsor field trips, hold classes and monthly meetings, host an annual Fall Mushroom Show and are a great resource for learning more about the wealth of mushrooms that are here in our midst. Great comradery, too.

Our Golden Rule for mushrooming is that we only cook with wild mushrooms that we have positively verified as edible. Today there is a wide variety of good edible mushrooms sold in local groceries and farmers’ markets. Each type has special qualities, textures and tastes. Certain mushrooms may sometimes be just the right ingredient to add to a soup, an egg dish, a stir fry, a pasta, a gravy and so much more. So take advantage of the edible fungi available to you in the market and experiment.

Below is our recipe for a mushroom quiche that uses the white button mushrooms or brown cremini mushrooms, both in the agraricus bisporus family and readily available in grocery stores. Enjoy!