| In mid May, last Spring a year ago, my lady and I made | | | | This puffball was growing right against the garage |
| our annual trek to the shores of Lake Erie, to the little | | | | door so I had to dislodge it in order to open the door. I |
| town of her upbringing, Silver Creek. It lies in the middle | | | | examined it more closely and measured it...slightly more |
| of what is locally called "the grape belt", because the | | | | than eight inches in diameter...and carefully set it aside |
| southern shores of that lake provide the ideal weather | | | | for further examination later. It was a bit early in the |
| conditions for growing the Concord Grape, among | | | | growing season for this mushroom...the National |
| other types of similar grapes. Just down the road is | | | | Audubon Society's FIELD GUIDE TO MUSHROOMS |
| Westfield, NY where Mr. Welch founded his grape | | | | says it shouldn't appear till late May. That could |
| juice empire. | | | | account for its relatively small size...the guide says they |
| We go there every Spring because we needed to | | | | can grow to twenty inches! |
| open up the little cottage, left to her by her late mother, | | | | Later, when I had unloaded the car and had heat and |
| located on the beach in Hanford Bay, a part of the | | | | water and things seemed fairly under control, I returned |
| borough of Silver Creek, in order to make it ready for | | | | to the puffball and decided to open it and see if it was |
| the renters. The weather was not really warm, and | | | | still white inside. Some of it was beginning to discolor |
| we had made arrangements for the gas man to | | | | and I discarded that part, along with the part that had |
| come that very day to install the meter and turn on the | | | | the small insect holes in it. |
| gas so we would have a little heat. We also were | | | | For lunch, the next day, I heated a little olive oil and |
| hoping the water would be turned on at about the | | | | garlic salt in a frypan and sauteed the half-inch thick |
| same time. Of course, one is at the mercy of the | | | | slabs of puffball for about two minutes on each side |
| service persons, but we have found that in such a | | | | and thoroughly enjoyed them. the texture is slightly |
| small community, they are fairly reliable. | | | | spongy and the taste is a bit neutral..not completely |
| As we pulled in to the parking area in front of the | | | | unlike tofu that is cooked in a similar manner. I even |
| garage, I noticed what I took to be a ball of the sort | | | | succeeded in getting my wife to try a small bite and |
| that very young kids use as a learning soccerball. I got | | | | she declared it "quite good"...I believe were her exact |
| out of the car and reached for the "ball" because I | | | | words! |
| would have to move it anyway, in order to open the | | | | To sum up, there are just a few points to be |
| garage door....I was just going to throw it back across | | | | emphasized...first: never eat a fungus unless you have |
| the street, where I was sure the young person lived, to | | | | positively identified it as an "edible"; secondly: it is quite |
| whom it belonged. As I reached for it, I suddenly | | | | satisfying, and sort of exciting, to be able to pick a wild |
| noticed that it wasn't perfectly spherical in shape, and | | | | mushroom and eat it with confidence knowing you |
| that it had a couple of very small holes in it! Imagine my | | | | have ID'ed exactly as it is described in the field guide; |
| surprise when, as I went to pick it up, I felt some | | | | and lastly: it is actually fun...I don't know how else to |
| resistance to my gentle tugging! It had a slightly spongy | | | | describe the hobby or activity or pastime or however |
| feel and I immediately knew what it was! A Giant | | | | you think of "mushrooming". They can be beautiful, |
| Puffball!! I say immediately, because I had seen but one | | | | they can be delicious, they can be deadly....have some |
| other Giant Puffball....directly across the street in a | | | | fun! Go mushrooming! |
| neighbor's yard here in Connecticut several years ago | | | | |