For many years, even before the very challenging days and months of the Trump presidencies, I’ve found a real sense of serenity when, early most mornings during growing season, I tend my community vegetable garden plot in Jamaica Plain. Nurturing tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and kale ground me — and prepare me to play my small part in addressing our collective societal challenges — in ways that few other activities can.
As the seasonal window for gardening is closing, I’m aware of the impending loss, until next spring, of this earthbound source of emotional sustenance. But with early fall comes some solace, because, for a few weeks, connecting with earth comes in the form of something more akin to a game: mushroom hunting (“Mushroom foraging grows in popularity,” Page A6, Oct. 12). I’m a relative newcomer to this endeavor, but what a treat it is, literally and figuratively.
My quarry are “hens of the woods,” also known as maitake, revered for both their luscious flavor and medicinal properties. If your curiosity is piqued, do your research; fortunately, no inedible mushroom looks anything like it, and if you take a break from the hustle-bustle, you too might hit the occasional jackpot. While I find nothing quite substitutes for the garden, I’m grateful for this fall offering from Mother Nature, which also puts dirt under my fingernails and keeps my blood pressure where it needs to be.
Michael Felsen
Jamaica Plain
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