Australian Field Mushroom

Many people love to use mushrooms in recipes, or as the base of a meal in their own right. The Australian Field Mushroom is perfect for this, with its pleasant, not over powering, woody flavour and its potentially large size. However, you have to be VERY careful when collecting mushrooms for consumption. There are more than a few that will lead to some pretty severe poisoning ranging from hallucinations and stomach cramping to a very painful death. To avoid risk of serious injury, DO NOT CONSUME MUSHROOMS IF THEY ARE NOT POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED AS SAFE. IF UNSURE OF THE MUSHROOM, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES INGEST IT!

The ones that have the pink/brown gills and grow out into a large umbrella are field mushrooms.

These fungi grow in colonies in areas which are damp and exposed to the sunlight and are often found growing in cow pats and other manure. They do not do well in areas which are too shady, unlike many mushrooms and fungi and are usually found in open grass lands.

A good way to do these mushrooms is as follows:-
Remove the stalks of the mushrooms, leaving the cap intact. Baste the top of the cap with olive oil and place top down on a baking tray.

Cube an onion, capsicum and tomato and the mushroom stalks and fine chop/crush a couple of cloves of garlic. Add diced bacon if you so desire, celery, corn kernels or carrot are also good additions. Put these onto the caps. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top. Place into the oven on 170 degrees C until the edges of the shrooms start to brown. Cover with a couple of slices of cheese and return to the oven until the cheese melts and begins to brown. Serve either on its own, with noodles or pasta, or on a mixed grill.

Also great on a barbecue or camp fire.

Just remember, if it has not got pink gills - UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES EAT IT. If you cannot positively identify it - DO NOT EAT IT!