A champagne flute is a tall, narrow-mouthed glass with slightly tapering sides in which champagne is served. The small surface area of wine exposed to the air limits the creation of chemicals which affect the flavour detrimentally.
Chanterelles are fluted, trumpet-shaped, wild mushrooms with a ruffled, wavy edge, egg yellow in colour and with a scent of apricots. They are commonly found under pine, beech or birch trees from July until the first frosts and thrive in wet summers. They are usually sautéed in butter with chopped onions. (If gathering mushrooms you must be absolutely certain what you have before you eat them as many are very poisonous.)
Char(r) usually refers to the Arctic char, an uncommon freshwater fish of the same family as salmon, trout and related to grayling and the vendace or powan. It is found in rivers and lakes of northern Europe, north western United States and Canada and in the Great Lakes. They are migratory fish, like salmon and trout. They have a steely blue-grey back with salmon-pink speckles on the sides and a red underbelly. They have sweet firm flesh which varies from white to pink, dependent upon its own diet, and with good flavour, some say better than trout, being something like a cross between trout and salmon.
The russule or charcoal burner is a variety of edible wild mushroom ranging in colour from purple to light green, usually found in late summer to autumn (US: fall) under deciduous trees. It is among the first of the season to appear and grows at higher elevations around 1800 ft. Most brittlegills resemble other ones that are inedible and some will cause gastric problems. You can normally detect what type it is by the flavour. A tiny tasting will immediately reveal whether or not it is edible, but it is worth spitting it out immediately if you detect a bitter taste. (If gathering mushrooms you must be absolutely certain what you have before you eat them as many are very poisonous.)
Swiss chard. A vegetable with large, dark leaves and fleshy ribs, mainly of a creamy white but sometimes a vibrant red. Leaves are cooked in the same way as spinach. The ribs are peeled and cut into manageable chunks and boiled or added to soups or stews. They are tender when young, stringy when old.
