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BY MELANIE CSEPIGA | Wednesday, April 09, 2003 | (2 comment(s))
The time is nearing when morel enthusiasts will be heading into the woods, mesh bags slung over their shoulders, to spend hours searching for this early spring bounty from nature that makes an all too brief, annual appearance.
Like their distant cousins, truffles, morel mushrooms may be prized as much for their elusive nature as for their flavor.
"I think anyone who has ever tasted morels can say that there is nothing else quite like them. So, of course, the wonderfully unique flavor of them is one reason that I myself like them," Carey Garwood, of LaPorte, said, but added enthusiastically, "The thrill of finding them is much more exciting than eating them. I absolutely love looking for morels."
Veteran shroomers, as many call themselves, know that there is no calendar by which to gauge when the sponge mushrooms will emerge from their earthen floor. For a certainty, there must be a few days of higher temperatures to warm the soil, followed by spring showers and days of sun.
"I usually start to look for morels way too early. ... I've only been thinking of this season since June 1 of last year," Garwood said, adding, "It seems like the black morels start around mid- to late April, and the season ends with the large yellows in late May."
Garwood explained that proper morel gathering technique requires pinching off the mushrooms rather than pulling them out of the ground. A mesh bag should be used, so that the mushroom spores are spread as the shroomer moves along, she said. "Look outward instead of downward, and, of course, look for the elm trees," she advised.
Old hands at gathering this woodsy wonder have their special spots, the locations of which are often jealously guarded, to which they return each year.
The method of preparation is, however, something mushroom lovers are happy to share.
The yellow morels, to which Garwood referred, are large, yellow, conelike sponge mushrooms which, to many, are the finest of wild mushrooms with a woodsy, nutlike flavor that is not duplicated in nature or by man.
As a child, I tramped the woods of my native Ohio with my father leading his pack of five children to forage for the large yellows that annually returned to an elm-filled woods near our home.
With our bags full of our prized finds, we would return home where we would cut the morels in half lengthwise, then rinse them in cold water. The morels then soaked in salted water for a bit to rid them of any insects before we drained them and laid them on old newspapers to dry.
My father was a purist who liked nothing to mask the morels' unique flavor, so they were simply sautéed in butter in a cast iron skillet until lightly browned. I don't recall adding salt.
Garwood, a Realtor who gathered and ate morels as a child, said she renewed her interest in them after marrying Brian Garwood, whose family operates Garwood Orchard and Farm Market in west LaPorte County. Her favorite means of morel preparation, she said, is breading and frying them. "I dip them in egg, then flour, and fry them in margarine until golden brown and crisp. The trick is to keep the margarine hot, so the mushrooms don't become soggy," she said.
As an adult, I've tried various preparations, including Scrambled Eggs With Morels, a simple recipe of my own device, which I'm certain is made in many morel-loving households. The key to optimum flavor is to make certain the butter is sizzling and remains so when the morels are sautéed. This method captures their special flavor and seals it for tastebud appeal.
Scrambled Eggs With Morels
5 to 6 large yellow morels
4 to 5 tablespoons of butter or margarine
10 eggs
Salt and red pepper to taste
* After washing, soaking, draining and drying morels, chop them into small pieces. Scramble eggs in a bowl and set aside. In a stick-free pan, bring butter or margarine to sizzling. Add morels and sauté until lightly browned. Pour the eggs over the sautéed morels, add salt and red pepper, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally.
* Makes 5 servings.
Morels Stuffed With Spinach, Ricotta, Parmesan and Pine Nuts
16 to 20 medium morels
14 ounces spinach, blanched for 2 minutes in boiling water, squeezed over a colander and finely chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper
Nutmeg
1 heaping cup of leeks, cut thin
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1-1/4 cups Ricotta
3/4 cup Parmesan, grated
2 heaping tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
* Trim off morel stalks flush with the head, leaving an opening into the cavity.
* For the sauce: Place a handful of spinach in a blender with the cream and chicken stock. (All the ingredients should be cold.) Add a pinch of salt and pepper and nutmeg. Blend until smooth. Reserve in a small saucepan.
* Fry the leeks and garlic in half the olive oil over a low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until soft. Place in a medium-sized bowl and let cool. Combine the leeks with the Ricotta, Parmesan, most of the pine nuts, salt, pepper, the remainder of the spinach and the parsley.
* Spoon or pipe the mixture into the morels, then place on a baking tray, brush with olive oil, season and cook in the oven at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.
* Heat the spinach sauce and spread on warmed plates. Place 4 to 5 morels on top and garnish with remaining pine nuts.
* Makes 4 servings.
Source: "Mushroom" by Johnny Acton and Nick Sandler (The Lyons Press, 2001)
Morel Soup
14 ounces small, fresh morels
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) sweet butter
2 finely chopped shallots
1 quart chicken stock
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
6 egg yolks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* Fry 8 morels in half the butter for 4 minutes over medium heat. Watch out: They split! Set aside, leaving excess butter in the pan.
* Finely chop the remaining morels and fry in the rest of the butter along with the shallots. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, pour in the cream and whisk in the egg yolks along with a little salt and pepper. Return to heat and slowly bring back to temperature, whisking continuously. The soup will thicken slightly like a thin custard. Top with fried morels and serve.
Source: "Mushroom" by Johnny Acton and Nick Sandler (The Lyons Press, 2001)
Where to buy
For those that would rather buy fresh morels, the Garwood Orchard and Farm Market in LaPorte offers morels for sale as soon as they start coming in season.
Since morel season varies, the best way to stay updated is to go to the Garwood Web site at www.garwoodorchard.com. Morels availability will be posted.
When fresh morels are not available, their subtle, nutty flavor is still available in dried form from Gourmet Mushrooms, but it will cost you.
Four ounces of dried morels, also known as sponge mushroom, pine cone mushroom, merkel and dry land fish, can be had for $30 plus shipping and handling. The dried morels can be sautéed or used to add flavor to various dishes. Learn more by going online at www.gmushrooms.com.
Mushroom tales
All mushroom gatherers have tales to tell, and Carey Garwood remembers well the largest morel she has ever seen.
Her brother, Chris Miller, found it on Easter morning in 1996 under a pine tree in his front yard.
"It was about 16 inches tall with a cap about the size of a softball," Garwood said, adding, "You had to carry it like a baby, which my husband did to put it in our car to take to show his father. None have been found there since."
For more information
For those that would like to know everything there is to know on the subject of morels and hear what veteran mushroom gatherers have to say on the subject, check out www.morel.com. Message boards for various states, including Indiana and Illinois, offer insight on finding the woodsy beauties as well as recipes and more.
Where to buy
For those that would rather buy fresh morels, the Garwood Orchard and Farm Market in LaPorte offers morels for sale as soon as they start coming in season.
Since morel season varies, the best way to stay updated is to go to the Garwood Web site at www.garwoodorchard.com. Morels availability will be posted.
When fresh morels are not available, their subtle, nutty flavor is still available in dried form from Gourmet Mushrooms, but it will cost you.
Four ounces of dried morels, also known as sponge mushroom, pine cone mushroom, merkel and dry land fish, can be had for $30 plus shipping and handling. The dried morels can be sautéed or used to add flavor to various dishes. Learn more by going online at www.gmushrooms.com.
Mushroom tales
All mushroom gatherers have tales to tell, and Carey Garwood remembers well the largest morel she has ever seen.
Her brother, Chris Miller, found it on Easter morning in 1996 under a pine tree in his front yard.
"It was about 16 inches tall with a cap about the size of a softball," Garwood said, adding, "You had to carry it like a baby, which my husband did to put it in our car to take to show his father. None have been found there since."
For more information
For those that would like to know everything there is to know on the subject of morels and hear what veteran mushroom gatherers have to say on the subject, check out www.morel.com. Message boards for various states, including Indiana and Illinois, offer insight on finding the woodsy beauties as well as recipes and more.
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jake wrote on Apr 18, 2007 10:52 AM:
rabel wrote on Apr 12, 2007 12:41 PM: