When I was about 12 years old I recall scavenging in my aunt’s backyard in Vermont for fresh chanterelles and porcini. The pale orange/yellow trumpet-shaped mushrooms grow wild in woodsy areas and thrive during the fall on the East Coast, but can be found throughout the year in warmer climates, especially after a great waterfall.

Because chanterelles have a delicate nutty/fruity flavor, they are best prepared in just a little but of butter with a pinch of salt and a spinkling of freshly chopped parsley. Chanterelles are not easy to locate, and devout mushroom foragers will go to great length to find these prized peachy gems. This also explains why chanterelles can cost upwards of $25/pound in supermarkets. For anyone looking to get into the mushroom-hunting game, good luck finding a forager willing to share their secret location. Foragers tend to be proprietary about their mushroom hunting locations.

Right now chanterelles are in season at LA farmers markets, if you spot some, make sure to pick the plump and spongy ones, avoid those that are brown, shriveled, or have broken caps.

At home I always keep a bag of dried chanterelles, which are much less pricey than the fresh kid and don’t go bad. Just rehydrate them in some warm water and you’re good to go with any chanterelle recipe.

Watch Chef Dave at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market challenge Shauna Ahern to create an inventive recipe using chanterelle mushrooms. Do you have an Appetite for Adventure?