I cleaned these with a vegetable brush, carefully removing soil and dried needles from their undersides. Then I sliced the fabulous fungus from cap to stem and sauteed them in olive oil -- delicious served alongside a Sunday supper of roasted chicken. (Some would insist that sauteing does the delicate flavor an injustice, noting that the better way to enjoy these meaty morsels is sliced and grilled "straight up" with only a sprinkle of salt. Me? I'll take 'em any way I can get 'em.)

If you've never tasted these prized "pine mushrooms," why wait? 'Tis the (short) season, and now is the time to find them at farmers markets and supermarkets, on creative restaurant-menus and, as always, at local sushi bars. Or better yet, get out your hiking boots and hit the Cascades and Mount Rainier trails. Don't know what you're looking for and want to learn more about the magnificent matsutake? Here's an idea:

Attend the Puget Sound Mycological Society's 45th Annual Wild Mushroom Exhibit -- set for October 11th (noon till 7 p.m.) and 12th (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) at the UW Botanical Gardens Center for Urban Horticulture. Mushroom experts will be on hand to answer your questions.