Since I've been sneaking into the forest next to us, I've been calling it the Secret Forest. No one goes there as it's actually private property, owned by the water catchment company.. But I've felt some ownership of it over the years, just waiting for the works on the new reservoir to finish so I could start exploring in there without being seen.

I have been looking for lepista nuda for ages, or wood blewitts - a choice edible mushroom. I'd pretty much given up for the season and had been hunting everywhere. But today I went into the forest to say a proper goodbye to my cousin, just to feel it, you know? It was cold and foggy, proper beautiful. Spider webs catching crystal balls of rain, the drip of water from gum leaves, wet boots and socks, cold face. The big old red gum was being a gorgeous silent sentinel, home for birds and bugs and bees that were quiet in the thick fog today.

I breathed and softly said goodbye. Looked over to my left from where I was perched and amongst the leaf litter on a large fallen branch, I saw a decaying mushroom. A big fella. It stood out because it was white amongst the greens, browns and reds of the forest floor.

I mean, it could be a lepista nuda - but the colour was old and faded, so it was hard to be sure. I'd given up hope by now, remember, so didn't really believe it could be. And then I saw them take shape in the wet leaves. Could they be... No they couldn't be...

Oh they had to be! I nearly screamed with excitement. Unmistakeably lavender mauve, brown tops. I didn't have a knife to cut through the stem and needed to be totally sure, but I was sure enough to pick four or so to take home to show the hubs and consult the books.

Taking a few photos at home, I was almost 100 percent sure before I even looked it up. I've been looking at so many photos of these things it'd be hard to not recognise it. The bottom of the stipe is velvety, and when you cut through the stipe or stem has a ring of purple.

I also posted on Australian Wild Mushroom Hunters on Facebook for confirmation. It's an awesome group with a lot of experts that get back to you within half an hour. Bless 'em!

Then the confirmation came through - had myself lepista nuda, or wood Blewit! Funny, I'd walked through this forest a lot lately, but not this row of trees.

We cooked them up on toast for lunch. With wood blewitts, like oyster mushrooms, you want to dry fry them with a touch of salt to get rid of the water content. Once they're browned, you add a little butter, some shallots, a bit of thyme or tarragon. I must say I liked them more than the saffron milk caps. And gosh they looked so pretty as well!

I didn't take a photo of the finished product, because, well, they looked like fried mushrooms on toast, losing their pretty colour. But you have to cook these babies, as, like raw morels, they can make you get a terrible stomach upset!

Honestly, after yesterday's sadness, I feel a little joy today.

I can't help but think my cousin had a little to do with this. Thanks cuz. Now, each year when I pick blewitts, I'll think of him.

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With Love,

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