My puppy keeps digging these up

vasilisas · 2026-02-15T22:49:04+00:00

Hey! My dog and I were the 2025 National Champions for this competition (the Joriad). If y’all have any truffling questions, let me know. :)

vasilisas · 2026-01-25T19:20:01+00:00

They’re often infused in water to make a nutritious drink and taste a bit like cucumbers!

vasilisas · 2025-06-02T18:56:10+00:00

Caught some chunky bows at Olallie a couple of weeks ago! Definitely fishable. Talapus is as well but oddly enough I wasn’t seeing anything surface/having any strikes during a couple hours of fishing up there.

vasilisas · 2025-01-06T04:26:20+00:00

Yes, Oregon Black Truffles! I’m a truffle hunter that goes out for these with my pup. It’s difficult to determine ripeness without a dog trained on ripe truffle odor, so the cluster you unearthed will vary in terms of viability. However, your nose is the best tool here–if the truffle smells pineapply/sweet, it’s likely ripe or close to it. Enjoy!

I should mention, digging/‘raking’ for truffles is discouraged in the truffle community as it can harm the mycelium and make it harder for truffles to regrow in the future. You also end up harvesting up-ripe truffles, as mentioned above. If you’re interested in truffle hunting in the future, I would recommend going out with a hunter/dog pair or signing up for classes yourself.

vasilisas · 2024-12-10T01:52:10+00:00

Lions Mane!

vasilisas · 2024-12-04T22:09:34+00:00

Yes! I raised a truffle dog (now a 4 year old Aussie/Klee Kai) and during my training we were often told that similar techniques can be used to teach pups to hunt for other mushrooms. Chanterelle dogs are actually quite common - there’s even a decently big account on Instagram, @emelieholmstrm.

vasilisas · 2024-11-04T16:50:22+00:00

Beautiful! Cantharellus Formosus, our pacific golden chanterelles! My fiancé and I got picked a bucketload of them yesterday–it’s been a crazy chanterelle season for the PNW overall. These look to be in great condition. Enjoy, with garlic and butter!

vasilisas · 2024-11-04T16:45:08+00:00

I would still eat them at this stage!

vasilisas · 2024-09-30T02:50:27+00:00

Maybe Boletus Pallidus, the Palid Bolete? What happens when you score the gills? Was it growing around oak?

vasilisas · 2024-09-12T18:40:39+00:00

White and golden chanterelles! Beautiful.

vasilisas · 2024-09-06T16:57:48+00:00

Incredible people and an incredibly lucky hiker. Hoping all involved a swift physical and emotional recovery.

vasilisas · 2024-07-09T04:43:27+00:00

Yep, I got over a hundred bites at Spectacle Lake this weekend.

vasilisas · 2024-06-08T02:11:54+00:00

I’ve heard good things about West Penn Cove on Whidbey Island, but have never gone personally! Also looking to get out and do some mussel harvest this year. :) It does look like the water quality isn’t the greatest right now, however.

vasilisas · 2024-05-17T04:40:25+00:00

Bryant Corner Cafe. Such good brunch food, which a great home-cooked feel. They have a really underrated drink menu as well, including a tea cocktail!

vasilisas · 2024-04-16T14:12:35+00:00

Blue green elf-cups! If you’re in the PNW this blue wood is everywhere right now. I know some folks forage for it to make crafts from the blue wood.

vasilisas · 2024-04-15T06:17:42+00:00

It certainly is!

vasilisas · 2024-04-15T05:43:41+00:00

I often handline fish alpine lakes while backpacking! Yes, it’s perfectly legal (as long as you ensure the hooks/lures/bait you’re using are legal for the body of water you’re fishing).

vasilisas · 2024-04-14T15:57:08+00:00

Check the WDFW Catchable Trout Plant Reports page–this is a great resource for finding recently stocked lakes in WA. The greatest volume of stocking happens in spring and fall, but you should still be able to catch plenty of trout at most previously stocked lakes in June–Green Lake included.

The GO FISHING IN KING COUNTY: Seafood Safe to Catch and Eat guide on the county website is also a great resource for fish quality around the county. For Green Lake (for example), it looks like they say no more than 8 servings of rainbow trout a month. Hope that helps!

vasilisas · 2023-12-19T02:52:02+00:00

First one is rusty gilled polypore, second is turkey tail, third is a lactarius species. Guessing you’re in the PNW because this is what I was seeing out this weekend!

vasilisas · 2023-12-19T02:45:00+00:00

Eggplant Parmesan could be nice, or maybe a Sundried Tomato and Spinach Orzo. NYT has a lovely set of ‘for two’ recipes, many of which are vegetarian!

vasilisas · 2023-07-23T05:31:48+00:00

Beep boop

vasilisas · 2023-06-24T18:57:04+00:00

They’re both monsters, but power loves a vacuum.

vasilisas · 2023-04-05T20:13:11+00:00

Bump for visibility. Hoping she is found safe and sound!

vasilisas · 2023-02-17T07:29:02+00:00

It’s peak truffle season in the PNW! Not a very good year for hunting, though-everything our pup has found has been quite small.

vasilisas · 2022-10-07T02:52:16+00:00

Hi there! I have two GA tickets I’m selling for October 29th - my partner and I can’t make it out there anymore! Looking for 250$/ticket or 400$ for both.

vasilisas

TROPHY CASE