What's in season now? MAY/JUNE

Mud season | Oyster Mushrooms | Leeks

Oyster mushroom stack

MAY | JUNE

Northern Wisconsin is known for its springs in the sense that they are possibly, no, absolutely, by far the worst season of the year. It’s also not called Spring. It’s called Mud Season. And when Summer arrives in late June, we're reminded that Spring may or may not have happened but Summer is quickly approaching and nearly here. And this change in season marks the beginning of mushrooms season and peak foraging.

I grew up in Brule, Wisconsin; my father, a smart man, chose land that was above the red clay line- courtesy of mother, Lake Superior. Now, unlike my father, I chose to surround myself by the Lake on an island that is entirely sand and clay, which could quite possibly be the most annoying part of my spring. Everyone loves a sandy beach but no one would say the same about red clay. Come April and May, the island becomes a system of navigable waterways of flowing red clay rivers. As Lake Superior, this year, nears its all-time historic high, our road systems will become more and more limited as the water rises and our red clay river roads surface.

During this season the island comes to life, covered in clay and smiling in sunshine. Even in April there is approximately 2 feet of snow on the ground, with 2 months to melt. At that rate our lake will hit its highest point on record sometime in June. With all that said though- there will be a bounty of water on and around this island. What the desert lacks in rain we lack in high ground. Madeline Island is a giant swamp. What the water is good for is providing an ecologically rich environment for mushrooms and early spring edibles such as oyster mushrooms and leeks. That is what I will be searching for once the snow is gone and day temperatures reach 60 degrees and the June rains arrive.

Wild leeks growing on my parents property in Brule, Wi

For leeks, I make the annual trip to Brule, Wisconsin where my father, mother, maybe a sister or two, venture out into the backend of our property that borders a most beautiful wetland that is currently being destroyed by an out-out-town asshole. But I digress, I’ll get into that one at a later date. With buckets and shovels in hand we move straight through the woods on a path etched into my brain. And every spring, usually around Mother’s Day, my soul is re-filled as the first edible greens of the year show themselves. My mother reminds us the Crocus’ are blooming as well, it’s a reminder that Spring is nearly here and just as soon as it was here it's gone. Spring is quick in the Northwoods. It is beautiful and full of life. Everything is awakening and everyone moves from hibernation into full-blown work mode. It’s an amazing thing to see it as a collective. Just like the busy bees coming from their slumber so are we, moving about to make the most out of every day of sunshine gifted upon us.

How to Use Leeks:

Leeks have a sweet flavor, and can be eaten raw or cooked. A cup of leeks is low in sodium and has almost no saturated fat or cholesterol. Leeks are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin B6, iron and magnesium, and a very good source of folate as well as vitamins A, C, and K.

Harvesting Tip: Bring a good pointed shovel, hand weeding tool. They're nearly impossible to pull out by hand and you'll just disappoint yourself by ripping the top of the plant off.

COOK: Potato Leek Soup

PRESERVE: Chop then freeze or dehydrate for later use in soups.

Following leeks, Oyster Mushrooms arrive later in May through June. The forest is the lushest shades of green and the ground is carpeted in forget-me-nots. The air and soil temperatures continue to rise, usually around 60 degrees, and with that lots of precipitation. It's not uncommon on Madeline Island and the Apostle Islands to have rain several times a week through June and if it's not raining it's foggy and overcast. By the Summer Solstice our summer weather starts to arrive and you can generally count on a rain event every 3-4 days with warm sunshiney days intermixed. This cyclical weather pattern creates the perfect environment for mushrooms to grow. So when the sun shines and the rains stop that's when you can find me in full rain gear searching the woods for Oysters. Oysters, near me, are found on dead popples, as we northern folk call them. Elsewhere, they're called Poplars or Aspen. Here, some consider them a garbage tree as they are the first tree to arrive after an area has been cleared and tend to blow over easily during a strong wing, as they are a very top heavy tree. With that said, their tendency to blow over generally means lots of dead trees in the woods, where oyster mushrooms claim their perfect habitat. Oysters are one of those mushrooms that if you get that timing right, foraging can be glorious and joyous day. Oysters tend to grow in clusters all the way up a dead tree*. The trick in the timing has a lot to do with the bugs. If you wait too long after the rain you'll likely find beautiful large, white fan shaped mushrooms, but the underside will be crawling with little black beetles, who have clearly claimed their territory.

*Harveting Tip: Oysters tend to grow well above your average reach so it's wise to bring a pocket knife, some duct tape, and a pole or stick of some kind to reach those way high up mushrooms. When cutting an Oyster mushroom from its tree, DO NOT pull the mushroom off. Always slice, leaving the base or stem of the mushroom intact with the tree. This helps in the regeneration of the mushroom for years to come.

Oyster mushrooms, although called Oyster, do no in fact taste fishy. They get their name from their similar appearance to oysters. I think they smell like anise, with a peppery taste. Some of you may be thinking... those flavors do not sound appealing together but don't be mislead. They are extremely delicious in cream and wine sauces, breaded and fried, and added in place of fish to chowders. I have a lot of venison and elk on hand and I find that a quick Vegetable Stir Fry with Soba noodles, rice noodles, or rice pair really well together. For the sauce I simply use lemon, ginger, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, and some sesame oil. Bake the vegetables (my favorites are broccoli, carrots, asparagus, celery, beans or whatever is growing the garden this time of year) in the oven for 30 minutes at 425 degrees and make the sauce to your liking while it cooks. At the end mix noodles, meat, and vegetables all together and voila! A quick stir fry meal. You can also grind them up into a powder and add them to soups as flavor in broths. I've also recently been experimenting with a jerky recipe that is turning out to be quite good. More on the jerky recipe later... but I will say, it would fool any meat eater and make vegetarians worry they just acted out a cardinal sin.

Recipes to try:

These recipes are easily adapted to include oyster mushrooms. They are also recipes that have lots of wiggle room if you have or don't have certain ingredients. These mushrooms are versatile and can be used in place of any recipe that calls for mushrooms.

- Wild Rice Meatballs in Mushroom Sauce

- Pad Thai

More about Oyster Mushrooms.

Do you play anymore?

We do not play enough. To remember how to play is a blessing, to be reminded of how to play is a gift. To forget work and all immediate responsibilities and to simply play is blasphemy in our society, even though science shows how important free and spontaneous play can be for children and equally adults. In our world of chaos and confusion we can replace those notions with places of solitude and adventure- giving space for reflection and freedom of spirit.

It begins with a reminder of the glory of youth, fearlessness, and recklessness by an adolescent boy with the spirit of summer. This is what I am in search of.

Sea caves of Madeline Island

He was the essence of youth in his intensity and eagerness to kayak and explore Lake Superior that day. It started with an early morning of dreamy waters. The lake was ours only and the sun lit the path of every underwater tunnel and sea cave that could possibly be explored. With the warmest waters I was going to feel all summer we made a point of it to make the moments last. It was these lit paths of underwater tunnels that ignited the spirit of a young man. He appreciated the challenge as any 17-year old athlete would. He was confident coming into the experience and I hadn’t yet wrapped my mind around what was actually going to happen. We swam into the cave, "Free Spirit", his friend, and I.

“The elements of chance and danger are wonderful and frightening to experience and, though I bemoan the recklessness of youth, I wonder what the world would be like without it. I know it is wrong, but I am for the spirit that makes young men do the things they do. I am for the glory that they know,” -Yi Fu Tuan in Romantic Geography

A beam of light lit our path, as clearly as the yellow brick road. I swam around the point to the other side to ensure the opening was clear. It took me a minute to swim to the other side and as I did I yelled out to let them know the opening was clear. When I received no response, I yelled out again, before I could finish my sentence up popped, who I only know as, "Free Spirit", gasping for air with the look of pure joy on his face. Shocked, I look at him, treading water, curious to what just happened and why he hadn’t waited. I couldn’t be mad because he was safe and I was equally committed. I also realized by the look on his face, he wasn’t going for round two. He described the feeling to me, the depth it took to make it to the opening and how hard he had to kick to make it through before his 30 seconds of air ran out. He looks at me, still catching wind and says, “YOU HAVE TO TRY IT!” Like “it” was a new flavor of Mountain Dew I had to taste. I look at him with complete fear in my chest and excitement flooding my brain, and say, “Stay right here, and mark the opening for me.” As I swim back across the point, the thoughts that run through my head are, “Why am I doing this?” and “I can’t let this kid show me up,” and “There’s no turning back, commit to this, you’ll be fine.” As I finished my self-motivating pep talk I near the other side, his timid friend, still working up courage, watches me as I take three deep breaths and disappear below the lit turquoise waters. We wear no goggles, we wear no flippers, and we bring only our capacity of breath and an able body. My eyes are saucers under the water. I fiercely swim as I realize, fifteen seconds in, my life now depends on it- I have come too far to turn back. I can see the beam of light shining through the opening the entire time. I begin to feel like I’m nearing the opening and I make the swim up the eight feet I had swum down. My arms are now stretched in front of me searching for the opening and the feeling of dread returns. I realize- it’s ceiling, all ceiling. In milliseconds I return to the original plan of fiercely kicking and paddling and every two or three seconds re-assess my place within the tunnel. In a matter of moments I am through the tunnel peering out into the eyes of a true free spirit and the waters of Lake Superior looking out towards Michigan Island. It is glorious and I am entirely alive. We share the moment together, the aliveness of it all- the closest feeling to death and birth we have both experienced. The act of it appears dangerous but in reality our ability exceeded the risk. With a new respect for our morning and the lake we swim across the point, returning to the rest of the group and his timid friend. His friend is asked, “So, would you like to give it a try?” His response is instant and firm, “No, thank you, I’m good for the day on that.” We all chuckle and swim back to the moms and dads, girlfriends and sisters and ponder at it on the cliffs of Big Bay.

What is foraging?

Foraging is in essence, the search for something necessary.

Boletus edulis. Boletes, commonly known as Porcini

...in other words, the story of my life.

I have the absolute, deepest curiosity to explore everything that is nature. It’s been a lifelong journey, but it mostly presented itself when I was a freshman in college trying to figure out what the hell to do with my life. I hated the teaching program I was in and couldn’t manage to pull myself off the hiking trail or the ski hill that year to actually study. My grades suffered and my mom took me out to lunch one day and asked, if college was really what I wanted to be doing. It was, it’s just what I was learning about was a total bore and not something I was passionate about. After some deep soul searching I came upon the study of Geography and for the first time in my life I had straight A’s and a passion for my studies. I still loved life in the sense of being a reckless college student, but my schooling had a different feel to it. I was learning about something I was completely passionate about. The study of the surface of the Earth. I came across foraging during a year-long two part Outdoor Skills class. I immediately fell in love with the idea. I was really into nature photography at the time and photography gave me something to do while hiking. Adding foraging to the list gave me a whole other mission and challenge while on the trail.

"Foraging is in essence, the search for something necessary."

Chicken of the Woods

I grew up relying on the land. My father was a sportsman providing us with wild game meats and my mother always had a beautiful flower garden and taught us the value of our apple trees that always provided. And during our short time together my grandparents taught me everything I know about growing a successful garden. Now my father and mother carry the tradition and maintain a beautiful 2-acre garden plot that provides enough food for them and my four sisters; something I am eternally grateful for, especially living on an island that can be a food desert come February.

When it came to foraging, I started easy and worked my way through the field guides. When I really took a nack for it was during the summer I spent in Alaska, working at Independence Mine Historical Park in Hatchers Pass, in the Talkeetna Range. With little else to do I devoted myself to learning the entire Alaska's Wild Plants: A Guide to Alaska's Edible Harvest Book. Upon returning home for my last year of college I quickly realized our plants were nearly the same plants and I was able to continue my learning. I kept at it and moved onto mushrooms, which for many is the ultimate forage. For me, this was the final frontier. I had mastered the berries, the greens, the trees, the roots, and now it was time for me to master mushrooms.

It was moving to Madeline Island where I was able to really focus my energy on expanding my knowledge about wild edibles and foraging for mushrooms. The island is a rich environment that provides. If you know where to look, all the mushrooms you could ever want or need exist. In my search I have found, but not limited to this list of edible mushrooms:

Chanterelles, Black Trumpets, and Boletes

• Chicken of the Woods

• Bolete/Porcini

• Black Trumpet

• Oyster

• Lobster

• Hedgehog

• Chaga

• Lion's Mane

• Reishi