Apples
Apples are everywhere right now. They make great cider. In this case I'm using ugly apples that I wouldn't necessarily want to eat. I rinse them, scrub away most of the sooty blotch, halve, remove stems, dig out the seedy core with a spoon, chop, and toss into the blender. Add a little water, blend, and strain with a strainer bag. Really tasty stuff.
Shaggy Mane Mushrooms
These mushrooms taste a lot like oysters. They make an awesome mini soufflé. Recipe involves whipped egg white, a yolk, onion, basil, cheese, and shaggy mane. Yum!
Hen of the Woods Mushroom
These prized mushrooms have been showing up on local oak trees. Tonight I froze what I had since I was eating other things.
Acorns
I've been meaning to try something with acorns ever since last year, when we had TONS of acorns everywhere. Cracking one open reveals an amazing familiar smell that I can't quite place... Some kind of yummy desserty smell. However, it is super tannic and devastating on the palette. I busted these open, dug out the nuts, blended with water, and repeatedly rinsed at the sink in hopes of leaching out the tannins. To no avail, however, they were still impossible to eat. I'm soaking them now, but don't feel much enthusiasm for putting more effort into making these nasty things edible
Butternut
I happened to spot one of these. Removed the green skin and cracked it open. Inside is a nice nut, a lot like a walnut only smaller. Not too bad to eat, although I guess they are much better with some kind of aging process.