A Rare Forage

Following the trail marked on my morning map, I pushed deep into the damp shadows under a broad hosta leaf. The afternoon heat baked the yard outside, but beneath this green canopy, the rich black soil stayed cool. Hidden between two mossy roots, I spotted an unusual cluster: three tiny, pale yellow caps sprouting fresh from the dirt. Not standard brown buttons—these were delicate, crisp, and completely unbruised. I braced my boots against a sturdy root, planted my shield upright in the soil to block loose dirt, and carefully clipped the stems clean with the flat tip of my blade. High-grade ingredients for our stew pot, secured without a scratch.