St George’s Mushrooms: This really couldn’t be a more helpfully named mushroom, as you can start looking for it around St George’s day with a fair liklihood of spotting a cosy ring of white mushrooms. This year it has taken me by surprise as it is a month early, but if the damp weather continues, you might keep finding them until the 23rd April. It is relatively common, likes grassy fields and the edges of paths and woodland and forms a ring that can be many centuries old.
As a result, once you find one mushroom (and there are very few mushrooms at this time of year, so it’s easier to identify) you should find the rest of the ring, and you can be sure that they will be there year after year. I found one large ring on the headland above the Needles on the Isle of Wight, but keep an eye out for some closer to home.
It is a meaty, full flavoured mushroom and I would go for the smaller ones which are more tender and tasty. Cut them thinly, and fry gently in butter with garlic, herbs and seasoning. Fry them until all the water has evaporated and then they are ready. They go very well with chicken and add wild garlic to the pot as well, as this should also be in abundance at the same time.
Please make sure that you pick these mushrooms with someone who knows what they are doing, clearly identify them and if in doubt, do not eat them.