Wednesday 7 October 2009

Close Call


I promise this is the last post about mushrooms. But this year is a very special year in terms of the quantity and quality; Italians are going bonkers in their frenzy to collect. Cars parked badly on grassy verges, shouted pleas of "Giuseppe, where are you?" echoing around the woods, the grunting as creaking baskets are loaded into car boots and the thump, thump, thump of the helicopter ambulance as they look for an open area to pick up some fractured fungaiolo who leaned over just a little too far in his quest for that big fat one and fell 40 feet down a ravine.
And there was a bit of a mushroom frenzy in Casa Combo last night as a good number of these little beauties were wolfed down in the company of friends and a serious amount of Barbera d'Asti. Paying the price today. They play hell with your digestive system.

6 comments:

Mrs Pouncer said...

I don't like the thought of Italians shouting "Guiseppe, where are you?" Surely they speak Italian? Or are they too idle to bother? There is nothing worse than taking the trouble to visit mainland Europe and finding the natives falling back on the Queen's English because they're too lazy to learn their own language. I had the same disappointment this summer in Antibes.

Philip Wilkinson said...

Ah, the Queen's English: a linguistic empire on which the sun never sets...

Ron: You'll be getting the resident Wise Woman quite excited with all these fungal posts. She's off to the forest tomorrow with her basket.

Thud said...

Given your intake of all things good I would imagine shrooms are the least of your digestive problems.

Peter Ashley said...

Speaking as a Fungaloid Non-Expert it's remarkable how much these mushrooms look like bread. Most of 'em that are edible tend to look OK, but of course the fun is trying those that look like crumpets or brioches and then put you into intensive care.

Vinogirl said...

What a great crop.

Ron Combo said...

Nice to have you back Mrs P. The voice of reason.