On any given winter morning, Connie Green of Wine Forest Wild Mushrooms picks up her basket and heads out to scour the forests and vineyards of Napa for wild mushrooms. An unabashed fan of all kinds of fungi, Green has a special fondness for local chanterelles. “They’re stunning,” she says. The chefs who buy her produce would agree: now and then she brings a few along, and they all sip some chanterelle vodka before starting on the hunt.

Though not as fragrant as others, the chanterelles that grow in the Bay Area are among the largest in the world. It’s not uncommon for them to measure 8 inches across, and Green has found ones that weigh as much as 2 pounds. It’s the texture, she says, that sets local chanterelles apart—they’re meaty and firm, like porcini. As for that vodka, Green makes it by steeping a half-cup of dried chanterelles (which are useless for anything else, she advises) in a 750-milliliter bottle of vodka for a week and a half. She then strains out and discards the mushrooms. What’s left is a golden elixir with a haunting mushroom flavor. Just the thing, says Green, to take the chill off a hunt in a damp forest.

AT THE MARKET
The season for local chanterelles begins in November and, thanks to the many microclimates in our region, can extend through the end of March. Choose mushrooms that are 2 to 3 inches in diameter; when smaller mushrooms are harvested, the leaf litter that provides the habitat where they flourish gets destroyed. Anthony Tassinello, whose High Mountain Products sells wild mushrooms to local restaurants, advises buyers to choose chanterelles with no soft spots or bruising. Stashed in a paper bag in the crisper, the mushrooms should keep for up to a week.

ON THE MENU
Chanterelles often sprout up in the hills around Napa, and Richard Reddington, chef-owner of Redd (6480 Washington St., Yountville, 707-944-2222), says winemakers sometimes try to bribe him with mushrooms to get their wines on his list. He admits, “If it’s good wine, it works. But I don’t accept the chanterelles until I taste the wine!” Reddington uses the mushrooms for dishes like skate wing with butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and chestnuts dressed with brown butter and sage. “It’s one of those dishes I look forward to making all year long.”

Staffan Terje, chef at Perbacco (230 califor­nia st., s.f., 415-955-0663), appreciates chanter­elles for their versatility. He adds them to his braised short ribs and uses them in warm salads, fish dishes, and soup. “They have such a distinct flavor. I try not to mess them up too much,” says Terje.

IN THE KITCHEN
Connie Green says that Todd Humphries, chef at the Martini House (1245 Spring St., St. Helena, 707-963-2233), makes the best mushroom soup she’s ever had. “A steaming bowl of it goes wonderfully well with chanterelle vodka,” she says. To try the soup at home, sauté 2 sliced shallots in 4 tablespoons of butter. When the shallots are translucent, add ½ pound of chanterelles and 2 ounces of dried porcini and cook until the mushrooms are tender. Add ½ cup of marsala and ½ cup of white wine to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally to loosen any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, until the wines evaporate and the pan is dry.

Add 1½ quarts of cream to the pan, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, and let cook for about 20 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor. You can strain it or leave it chunky, depending on your preference.

Season the soup with a teaspoon of Banyuls vinegar, salt, and pepper. Divide it between four serving bowls, and garnish each with a tablespoon of sour cream, a teaspoon of chopped chives, and croutons made from brioche cubes sautéed in butter.