Hello, Gorgeous
It may have been opening day of spring turkey season, but earlier this evening I went out stalking an entirely different sort of prey—and I didn't even have to dress head to toe in camo to do it.
Edible wild mushrooms in our part of Missouri are a gift, not a given. In order for them to pop up, we need that perfect and often elusive combination of wet ground, warm air, sunshine, and luck, along with a sprinkling of what can only be magic. A stormy weekend (that gave us two much appreciated inches of rain) followed by a beautiful and blustery day in the upper 60s had my morel mushroom senses on full alert.
Triplets?
Since there is already magic involved (with the foraging process, not the mushrooms themselves), I've found that a little superstition can be a big help. I usually catch my biggest game if I head out to hunt in our treasured morel spot when 1) I'm in a hurry and really should be doing something else, 2) have no French bread in the freezer and not enough time before dinner to bake some (to sop up all that scrumptious, buttery juice), and 3) am not armed with a plastic bag or—god forbid—a specially designated mushroom carrying basket. A basket can jinx everything. Wearing a second shirt that can double as a knapsack, however, is okay.
Score!
Today everything obviously worked like a charm. And thanks to all the mouthwatering serving suggestions you so generously offered up last year when I wrote about morels, I have plenty of ideas about how I want to savor this bounty. The only question now is whether to cook it up tonight or save it until tomorrow when there will be time to make bread.
Fortunately, I think there's enough to do both.
Previous posts about wild mushrooms:
9/18/06: Wild Mushroom or Miniature Alien Spaceship Crash Site?
5/26/08: Foraging and Finding Morels (Not Today)
9/11/08: A Very Local Dinner Starring Wild Chanterelle Mushrooms
11/13/08: A Wild Mushroom Feast for Your Eyes Only
© 2009 FarmgirlFare.com, the wild for mushrooms foodie farm blog where, depending on the weather, these cherished morels may be the only score of the season or just the very beginning. Only time will tell. What we do know for sure is that the grass is growing, the peepers are peeping, the wet weather creek is flowing, and the wild turkeys are very nervous. Spring has definitely sprung!
They look like little sponges. I'm not a mushroon person but these look really good.
ReplyDeleteOoohh, those look so yummy! Lucky you, even if you had no mushroom basket. Thank you for all of your lovely farm photos.
ReplyDeletethey look yummy - and so clean for mushrooms! peepers peeping around here also, at night I get a kick out of shining the big flashlight out into the yard and seeing all those tiny eyes everywhere! supposed to hit 90 here in North Texas this week and still considered drought -
ReplyDeleteI am starting to think you live in heaven. OMG - morels on top of everything else. You have built a lovely life - congratulations. LOVE your blog.
ReplyDeleteOh, you are so lucky! Morel magic - definitely there are faries involved!! Enjoy every wonderful, delicious morsel.
ReplyDeleteLook at you--morel hunter extraordinaire! I was just this very morning thinking about morels (after the muddy bunch of ramps I cooked up last night), and hoping I might see some at my farmers market soon. Yours look fantastic. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteLucky duck :) Those are beautiful! Glad you had a successful hunt.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a great haul! I haven't hunted mushrooms in years but I did when I was a kid and it's one of the most magical things.
ReplyDeletePlease. For the love of all that's holy - post ridiculous amounts of photos and descriptions of whatever you do with those morels.
ReplyDeleteTo say "favorite" or "most delicious thing on earth" would be putting it mildly. LOVE.
Those are beautiful photos of the mushrooms. You could also dry them for later, but I suppose they would be best eaten fresh.
ReplyDeleteOh my. Those would sell for like $25 dollars at my farmers market. I'm so envious. Can't wait to hear what you make.
ReplyDeleteHey Farmgirl!
ReplyDeleteIt's Rea, just south of you in AR by Beaver lake. I just wanted to say 'hi' and that we too devoured some of those beautiful Morels just last night! So.Dang.Good.
Generous friends brought them over and sauteed a mess of them up - had them with salmon and salad. Needless to say, the Morels were the star of the show. Slurp. Friends totally have an advantage though... Their 8yr old and 5yr old make great Morel hunters!!
Wow the mushrooms look great. Wish they grew here. Happy eating
ReplyDeleteHave been reading your blog for about three years love it. You inspired me to start my own blog.
I AM SO JEALOUS! I'm trying to grow my own little habitat of morels here in Seattle. No luck yet (I started it in Oct 2007, from a morel spawn kit)
ReplyDeleteLovely site, I'll save your link and rss feed!
Don
I've been successfully forageing for morels, but not in my own backyard, I must admit. Lucky you!!c
ReplyDeleteToday we had dinner at BB'S.For starters we order the garlic mushrooms - breaded and an order of chili cheese fries. The garlic mushrooms are good but are definitely of the packaged variety. The chili cheese fries while good, I like because of the fries not the chili.
ReplyDelete