Mushrooms. Down to earth. Let's face it.  Where do they come from ? Really !  Walk into Whole Foods and the varieties available right there, obviously displayed. Labels, signs; thank God. ! 

The nature of this little beast has a following that is black or white. Nothing in between. The pole taken is that they are either despised by or intoxicated by the 'shroom lovers.

Mushroom Wednesday at L'Espalier.  July 15th. Guest;  Benjamin  Maleson.The Mushroom Man. Provisionary for upscale restaurants. Forager extraordinaire.  Forager:  to scout about, seek, rummage; hunt. The act which easily describes the lifestyle of this fine bearded, long haired gentleman who appears to have just crawled out of a forest canopy, and most likely did ! 

Beyond my wildest imagination, I had no idea that the level of expertise existed. Oh, I know it does somewhere, but who knew, this native of Jamaica Plain and his wife reside nearby.  As a guest last evening, I experienced one of the most miraculous meals ever. Each time I go to L'Espalier I have no expectations, and they are not needed. The surprise and the actual experience is so enriching and rather mind altering.

 The menu last evening consisted of a Terrine of russulas and pickled chanterelles with farm young greens drizzled with a chili-lavender vinaigrette. Taste bud opening for the first course. Second course; Halibut and black trumpet mushroom "hot dog". Scrumptious. Third course (all paired with specific wines naturally… paired to enhance each course ), Waffle cap mushroom stuffed pork loin with confit potatoes and pattypan squash.  Delicious. and for the finale, the desert was the most unusual in my opinion. It consisted of sauteed Enoki mushrooms with black truffle chev re mousse and vanilla ice cream.   I have to said it was rather odd and I had difficulty allowing the Enoki mushroom texture to touch my tongue for some reason. Uniquely odd. Paired with ice cream just a bit weird.

I found the evening to be very educational, and tasty all in one. I really enjoyed hearing what Ben had to share, as this realm was a bit foreign to me. He brought baskets filled with a cornocopia of his mushrooms finds for us to touch, feel and smell. These were his treasures, and being that he supplies many restaurants in the area with these delicate little creatures, he is reknown in his field.

This was an intimate turn out and the seating was appropriately placed in the "library room" of L'Espalier. I urge you to dine here if you haven't already. It is truly an experience. We love those !

As mentioned before, the definition foraging is to search about. Seek, rummage. I just realized this is what is done when attending the Brimfield Antique Show. It is held 3 times a year, and yes I am repeating my trip which I original took in May.  However, this time around, I went with absolutely no expectations. None. Positive grounds for adventure.  Scouting through the fields of old stuff.  Some junk, as well as definite treasures.The marvelous thing in life has been to discover and apply beautiful things as a way to integrate them with my existing life, and also to enhance yours. This blog entry is about merging the old with the new, and the paralelle that foraging holds, be it with food, fashion, home accessories or jewlery. For me, the talent to edit all of this and not become overwhelmed despite the quantity there is to choose from is truly a gift. I love creating the platform in which to share all of this with you, and hope you enjoy reading and absorbing the process, and outcome as well.

My favorite thing this time was …. vintage ribbon.  Crazy ! I know. but the ribbons are simply beautiful. They are aged. The dyes back then were very natural, yet vivid in colors. New packaging for presents at Matsu ! That's what. I am including a photo here, along with some of the other treasures I discovered this trip. I especially love the "Jade Ware". The photo of the green dinnerware. The impact is beyond spectacular. Old cans, the eggplant old automobile.  Spotless. Impeccable. I invite you to take a visual ride through my photos here. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy sharing them with you.

 

 

So, the next time you are out and about, you can find beauty in anything, bring it back into your home or life. It could be a smell, a piece of jewelry, article of clothing, who knows, but I do know that by you reading this blog and my entries, I am inspired to share my personal experiences with you.

I look forward to feedback if you have any, and for YOU to share as well.

Happy Hunting

Yours in Joy,

Dava