The Anti-Mushroom Festival
October 21 2003
Festa della Funghi
Vivian appeared on my back door step a couple of weeks ago to announce that there was a Mushroom festival in a little town near Graffignano. Graffignano does not appear on many maps and the little town nearby (Sipicciano) would never make it on even a detailed regional map.Bill boards all over Lubriano proclaimed the festival. In Italy a festival can mean anything from two people selling a tomato to a grand spectacular affair. I tried to dampen everyone's enthusiasm in event of a two people festival.We marked the date on the calendar and on a rainy Saturday afternoon I set off with three friends for the Festival of Funghi near Grafignano. Grafignano is one of the ancient towns in the middle of the Tiber Valley arising up from the Tiber plain like a pimple. Nothing grand like Orvieto or Cortona, but just a town built to get away from the marauding hoards of the many centuries past, whether it be Goths, Visigoths, Romans, Charlemagne, or Hannibal - you name it, various people have tried hard to maraud this valley on their way to the big prize of Rome.After being stopped by the Carabinieri to show our papers for our brand new Macchina Rossa (Red Fiat Punto of which we are very proud) the policeman asked if the papers belonged to my marito - "si" and where were we from, as if he didn't already know. I actually had the gall to ask him about the mushroom festival and he informed me that we were too early and that the main festivities were starting that night. Not being deterred we putzed on to this little hill top town. After various stops asking locals where the mushroom festival was, (at this point we should have known things were of the two people variety) we were directed behind a Church to a Church Hall. We ventured in, not a Mushroom Festival sign to be had in the general area despite the multiple signs in Lubriano, some 40 km. away. What we found was a festival of "Funghi NOT to eat" rather than "Funghi to eat" we had been saving our appetites for the Funghi with Lasagne, Funghi with Polenta and Funghi with Vitello and Funghi with Bistecca and here we found ourselves at a festival of what not to eat.The display was quite incredible, there were Mushrooms that would kill you, Mushrooms that would give you hallucinations and mushrooms that were merely toxic, but not a delicious fat Porcini mushroom amongst the whole lot. Locals arrived with baskets at the back door of the church hall and were greeted with a very official man with a book who analyzed their mushrooms and then displayed them for all to see. From the display of about 150 mushroom varieties there were about 10 that were edible, a good rule of thumb is dont go out picking mushrooms because they will probably kill you, give you hallucinations and at the very least make you throw up.After being chastized through this very sobering display of toxins we set off back home, vowing to season the veal roast that was at this point simmering in my oven with something other than mushrooms. The roast was awaiting the final garnish of porcini that would have been garnered from the Funghi Festival. I decided that a stop at the local winery Madonna della Machie was in order to save the day, but that too was closed, as the people must have thought that only mad people would visit on such a foul day.On arriving back in Lubriano, Karen suggested that we try Luigina in the fruit and vegetable shop** on the off chance she had edible mushrooms (after viewing the display at the mushroom festival I think this was a very brave move). I envisioned us and our 6 guests all expiring around the fire after our meal.As we walked into Luigina's shop what greeted us was a gift from heaven.In a basket right by the door was a mushroom of such grand proportions it was astounding -- just one mushroom* about one foot square. "fragrante" says Luigina and we smell it and were all sold on this mushroom which actually weighted 4 pounds. The main thing going through our minds was that it looked absolutely nothing like anything we had seen at the anti-mushroom festival. We bought it.Half and hour later the veal roast was ready with its mushroom topping. I cut the giant mushroom into one inch cubes and sauteed it in olive oil, garlic and butter. I then added porcini mushroom stock and let it simmer until the stock had completely evaporated. I let the mushrooms crisp up to a toasty brown with a little crunch and then at the final moment I added a cup of cream.Whats not to like...........
*Pleurutos (called Cardarelli in Lubriano)**Fruterria Luigina, via Nationale 55,Lubriano (
Festa della Funghi
Vivian appeared on my back door step a couple of weeks ago to announce that there was a Mushroom festival in a little town near Graffignano. Graffignano does not appear on many maps and the little town nearby (Sipicciano) would never make it on even a detailed regional map.Bill boards all over Lubriano proclaimed the festival. In Italy a festival can mean anything from two people selling a tomato to a grand spectacular affair. I tried to dampen everyone's enthusiasm in event of a two people festival.We marked the date on the calendar and on a rainy Saturday afternoon I set off with three friends for the Festival of Funghi near Grafignano. Grafignano is one of the ancient towns in the middle of the Tiber Valley arising up from the Tiber plain like a pimple. Nothing grand like Orvieto or Cortona, but just a town built to get away from the marauding hoards of the many centuries past, whether it be Goths, Visigoths, Romans, Charlemagne, or Hannibal - you name it, various people have tried hard to maraud this valley on their way to the big prize of Rome.After being stopped by the Carabinieri to show our papers for our brand new Macchina Rossa (Red Fiat Punto of which we are very proud) the policeman asked if the papers belonged to my marito - "si" and where were we from, as if he didn't already know. I actually had the gall to ask him about the mushroom festival and he informed me that we were too early and that the main festivities were starting that night. Not being deterred we putzed on to this little hill top town. After various stops asking locals where the mushroom festival was, (at this point we should have known things were of the two people variety) we were directed behind a Church to a Church Hall. We ventured in, not a Mushroom Festival sign to be had in the general area despite the multiple signs in Lubriano, some 40 km. away. What we found was a festival of "Funghi NOT to eat" rather than "Funghi to eat" we had been saving our appetites for the Funghi with Lasagne, Funghi with Polenta and Funghi with Vitello and Funghi with Bistecca and here we found ourselves at a festival of what not to eat.The display was quite incredible, there were Mushrooms that would kill you, Mushrooms that would give you hallucinations and mushrooms that were merely toxic, but not a delicious fat Porcini mushroom amongst the whole lot. Locals arrived with baskets at the back door of the church hall and were greeted with a very official man with a book who analyzed their mushrooms and then displayed them for all to see. From the display of about 150 mushroom varieties there were about 10 that were edible, a good rule of thumb is dont go out picking mushrooms because they will probably kill you, give you hallucinations and at the very least make you throw up.After being chastized through this very sobering display of toxins we set off back home, vowing to season the veal roast that was at this point simmering in my oven with something other than mushrooms. The roast was awaiting the final garnish of porcini that would have been garnered from the Funghi Festival. I decided that a stop at the local winery Madonna della Machie was in order to save the day, but that too was closed, as the people must have thought that only mad people would visit on such a foul day.On arriving back in Lubriano, Karen suggested that we try Luigina in the fruit and vegetable shop** on the off chance she had edible mushrooms (after viewing the display at the mushroom festival I think this was a very brave move). I envisioned us and our 6 guests all expiring around the fire after our meal.As we walked into Luigina's shop what greeted us was a gift from heaven.In a basket right by the door was a mushroom of such grand proportions it was astounding -- just one mushroom* about one foot square. "fragrante" says Luigina and we smell it and were all sold on this mushroom which actually weighted 4 pounds. The main thing going through our minds was that it looked absolutely nothing like anything we had seen at the anti-mushroom festival. We bought it.Half and hour later the veal roast was ready with its mushroom topping. I cut the giant mushroom into one inch cubes and sauteed it in olive oil, garlic and butter. I then added porcini mushroom stock and let it simmer until the stock had completely evaporated. I let the mushrooms crisp up to a toasty brown with a little crunch and then at the final moment I added a cup of cream.Whats not to like...........
*Pleurutos (called Cardarelli in Lubriano)**Fruterria Luigina, via Nationale 55,Lubriano (
posted by Di Armstrong at 12:46 PM
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