October 20, 2020 · By Monisha Dajee

MUSHROOMS WITH MONI

I have been hiding under autumnal piles of fallen leaves the past couple of weeks. I have been resting, researching and re-organising. The majority of the time I fail to force myself away from the comfort of my radiator and out of my jimjams. However, on the rare days that I manage to venture outside; layered up, I start to understand and appreciate these halcyon days. A palette of auburn, midnight greens and vermillion hues. Sometimes our minds need time to reset. Lots of things are changing around me, natural shifts that are completely out of my control. But I am always first to say 'everything happens for a reason.'

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In the meantime I have delved into the mysterious kingdom of MUSHIES. I am a novice to the world of these magical spores but I think we are officially obsessed.
Yesterday we identified a few clusters of glistening ink caps and snapping bonnets. We then stumbled in a fairytale realm of HUGE parasol mushrooms. One was the size of a dinner plate. An easy mushroom for us beginners. Identified by the snakeskin pattern on the stem, large size, tanned scaly top, cream gills, an easily detachable white skirt and a bulbous base. (It can be confused with the shaggy parasol mushroom. However the shaggy does not grow as large and the stem has no snakeskin effect. It can also cause mild gastric upsets to a small number of people so be cautious.)
Sam cooked our foraged parasols in lashings of butter and garlic. Wildly delicious.

Fungi have always played a significant and integral part in the development of life on Earth. Plants, terrestrial animals and humans would not exist without them. Fungi were some of the first complex life forms on Earth. They drove evolution on land, influenced the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere and have long supported diversification, powered growth and enriched life on our planet.

As we are constantly bombarded with mindless distractions pulling us away from the earth we evolved from, it is easy to forget that we all live in symbiosis with mushrooms. So I encourage anyone to talk a wild walk and at least get acquainted with the fungi that are indgenious to your area. A gentle reminder to always forage wisely, carefully and with good intentions. Do not pick anything you are unsure of or anything you suspect is poisonous.

Moni Dajee, founder of The London Alchemists - artist, creator, explorer, beekeeper and avid practitioner of natural alchemy.

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