Sonoma County Mycological Association Christmas Dinner

Entrees at the Sonoma County Mycological Association Christmas Dinner.

Last night Robin & I went to this incredible fancy mushroom dinner given by the Sonoma Mushroom club in Graton. Sorta like the one we went to in Mendocino a month ago, but, this is hard to believe, this one was even better and if I had known, I would have made sure all my friends who live in the area from Occidental to Santa Rosa knew about it (there's always next year). Here's a shot of the Graton Community Club where the even took place, in downtown Graton.

SOMA provided the entrees and some wine, but attendees were encouraged to bring appetizers or dessert courses, and everything we tried was just fabulous. Above is the appetizer table early on in the event. Many more arrived later, and this was all dispatched post-haste.

Savory Morel-based Quiche. Never had anything quite like it.

Above and below: this sweet young couple seated near us brought this Baked Brie (the cheese was from Marin French Cheese, naturally)--topped with chopped Maitake Mushrooms lightly sauteed in olive oil first.

As you can see, this one didn't last very long, and it's a good example of some of the lighter offerings--a great example of Vegan fare that's not like wearing a hairshirt--marinated shiitake mushrooms and other raw vegetables rolled up like spring rolls--absolutely delicious! I was lucky to get one and get a photo before they were all gone! That was one of 20 things last night in the category of "one of the best tasting things I've ever eaten."

One of the late arrivals I didn't try because I was already starting to get full--mushrooms with cheese.

I stopped drinking a couple of weeks ago, as a temporary dietary measure, and Robin MacLean doesn't drink much, but we decided to have some of this delicious dry rose bubbly, a Loire Cab Franc, provided by the SOMA club (most folks brought their own wine). It made for a great pairing with the feast. Even though we just had a couple of cups, it was perfect.

Main entrees for the SOMA dinner. I was slightly worried that I might not get any of the beef, but the platter was replenished just as I got there. Notice the pot of gravy nearby.

Here's a photo of the incredible plate of the main courses--that's Prime beef with Porcini gravy on the lower right, the beef was so incredibly tender, you could use the fork to cut it. It was almost like eating butter, some of the best beef I've ever had, as was the gravy, which was a rich, Porcini based gravy. Going clockwise, you can see two puff pastries, filled with mushrooms, and Foie Gras (there were also some without for vegans)? Did I hear that right? Damn, those were so good, but I was already getting full, thanks to the incredible onslaught of delicious appetizers which preceded this glorious table of main courses. Next was some Couscous and Quinoa, main dishes for Vegans and Gluten-free folks (thought I'd try them, these were delicious and did a good job soaking up the incredible Porcini Gravy), and then there was some Lemon Spinach, and an Arugula Salad to die for, with slices of Parmagianno Regiano, Pear, and Pomegranate kernels.

Sure looks like quite a few desserts on that table, doesn't it? Believe it or not, this was really early on in the event, right when we arrived about 4:30. That table was chock full of desserts by the time everyone had arrived, what you see is perhaps only about a third of what was on offer. You should have seen the rush after speeches were given--I've scarcely ever seen a line queue up that quickly!

Like I said, I'm on a diet, especially foregoing sweets. However, I did have a bite of some delicious ginger cheesecake this nice lady made. The Desserts Table was seriously crowded with all kinds of tempting fare, including several confections using Candy Cap Mushrooms. Above is my photograph of the to-go "safe plate" that a French lady seated near us let me shoot for Cakes & Ale. BTW, that's probably only a selection of *half* the desserts on offer. For example, it doesn't include Robin MacLean's Tart Lemon Dessert, which were meant to seem like cheesecake. A home-made graham cracker crust, topped by a yogurt (high quality yogurt) mixed with a lemon curd made from organic lemon zest and juice, with only half the sugar (half of that was agave) called for in the recipe, so the result was something very lemony, very very tart. Extra graham cookies were provided in case folks wanted more sweet flavor with theirs.

SOMA has forays and other events open to the public. They have SOMA camp in Occidental, California the weekend of Martin Luther King Day, and I highly recommend it. Check out their website for more information.

www.somamushrooms.org