What in the Woods Is That?

Play our biweekly guessing game!

Whatever draws us into the forest—be it birdwatching or logging, hiking or hunting—all of us are unified by the sense of wonder we feel in the outdoors. The forests, fields, and streams of our region are full of mystery, and if you stop and look closely, you’ll see all sorts of oddities.

Below find a picture of one such woodlands curio. Guess what it is and you’ll be eligible to win a Northern Woodlands woodpecker magnet designed by artist Liz Wahid. A prize winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries. The correct answer, and the winner’s name, will appear when the next column is posted and in our newsletter (sign up here!).

What’s for Dinner

OK, gastronomes, what are they?

Answer

Fried morel mushrooms.

Morels, along with ramps and fiddleheads, are part of the holy trinity of ephemeral, springtime wild foods. We asked our staff forager, Ginny Barlow, to share her favorite morel recipe. She said: “sure, fry them in butter.” For those looking to further complicate their lives, check out the following websites: http://thegreatmorel.com/recipes.html or http://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/cooking-morel-mushrooms.html.

This week’s contest winner was Bob Brown