Less common than wood blewit (Lepista saeva), field blewit is native to Europe and the British Isles. It often appears in groups or fairy rings usually in chalk or limestone grassland and pastureland. Occasionally it can be found on calcareous soil of lightly shaded woodlands. The mushroom is 2.5″ tall and has a smooth, slightly domed brown to beige cap up to 4.5″ across. The cap tends to become flat with maturity and may have wavy edges. The gills are crowded, white, off white to beige and may become pinkish. The stem is short, off white with a blue/lilac, vertically fibrous covering, and is often slightly bulbous at the base. It does not have a ring. The ellipsoid spores are pale pink, have tiny spines, and produce a pale pink spore print. The flesh is white to gray-pink and the whole mushroom has a strong sweet fragrance. Field blewits like cool temperatures and are available from late summer to very late autumn, sometimes into winter.
Field blewits are considered tasty and with a good texture but should be eaten soon after harvesting because of fly larvae infestations. Cooking is strongly recommended because uncooked field blewits may cause indigestion. Field blewits are delicious sauteed in butter or in a cream sauce. They can be used with veal, pork, chicken, or cheese and are tasty in rice, pasta or omelets. Because they have a high water content they are often dry-sauteed.
Photo Credit https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lepista_saeva_20131102w.JPG
Karen