Mycological Society Leads Area Mushroom Walks

The Connecticut-Westchester Mycological Association (COMA), an amateur mycological society, will lead mushroom walks at 9:30 a.m. on June 1 in Mount Kisco; June 9 in Yonkers; June 15 and 30 in Greenwich, Connecticut; and June 23 in West Harrison. Participants will forage for wild mushrooms and gain a deeper understanding of the local ecology.

Established in 1975 with the mission of stimulating interest in the study of fungi, COMA is an affiliate of the North American Mycology Association, serving lower New York State and Southwest Connecticut. Annual membership is $25 for an individual or a family.

COMA walks are followed by a potluck lunch and mushroom identification. Walkers should visit ComaFungi.org ahead of time to read the guidelines on mushroom collection and walk participation. They should also refrain from collecting mushrooms in the walk area for at least 15 days before the event is scheduled. Collecting native plants and commercial harvesting are prohibited.

COMA also recommends that participants install iNaturalist on their phones and join the COMA fungi project, and that they apply​ tick repellent before walking.

To join COMA or to see a complete mushroom walk schedule, including parking/meeting details, visit ComaFungi.org. For general inquiries, email ​taro@ietaka.com.​

 

Vegan Cooking Class at Good Choice Kitchen

Chef Sara Boan will be at Good Choice Kitchen, in Ossining, as guest teacher for the kitchen’s next vegan cooking class, which will take place 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on June 12. Boan is a professionally trained chef who works at Catskill Animal Sanctuary (CAS), in Saugerties, a haven for rescued farm animals and an advocacy organization for vegan living.

“We are ecstatic that Sara and the CAS are open to the idea of bringing a cooking class to us,” says Chef Laurie Gershgorn, owner of Good Choice Kitchen. “Sara’s cooking classes are very well received and attended at the sanctuary, so we hope many people will take this opportunity to join her here in Westchester.”

Under Boan’s guidance, the class will make Buffalo Cauliflower with Quick and Creamy Dressing; Greek Watermelon Salad; Zesty Lime-Pineapple Slaw; Compassionate Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce; and Blackberry Fig Crisp. All the recipes are featured in the sanctuary’s new cookbook, Compassionate Cuisine: 125 Plant-Based Recipes from Our Vegan Kitchen. There will be cookbooks available for purchase at the conclusion of class, with all proceeds supporting the sanctuary’s programming.

The vegan cooking classes at Good Choice Kitchen—which are typically scheduled on a Wednesday evening—are open to anyone age 13 and older. Preregistration is required.

Cost: $75 per class. Sign up ahead of time online, by phone or in person. Location: Good Choice Kitchen, 147 Main St., Ossining, NY. For more info, call 914.930.1591, email info@goodchoicekitchen.com or visit GoodChoiceKitchen.com.