This section of the site is intended to help the fellow mushroom lover find wild mushrooms throughout the year.
Here is a calendar of when wild mushrooms are in season:
Spring is quite sparse for mycologists however there is one variety that makes it all worthwhile! It is the most productive time for arguable one of the most treasured and best tasting mushrooms next to the Cep (porcini or Boletus) The Morel! You can read more about the Morel here.
I absolutely love Morels, their flavour is unique and they are a real gem. Morels can be hard to find but once found, are quite easy to find more.
Here is a guide to finding Morels:
1) Go out before 11am on a Spring day, about 3-5 days after rain and in a frost-free period,you won't get them coming up if the ground is frozen.
2) Wear a wide-brimmed hat to aid vision as the Spring sun is lower on the horizon and makes seeing them harder
3) look for an part of the woods (it is always found in woods) that contains deciduous trees where the wood floor is not over grown.
4) Find a likely looking spot then Stop, sit a while - let your sense acclimatize (at least 15 mins) you can often smell them before you see them. By sitting down you are more likely to be at the level where the aroma flows. see if you can detect any scent. If not then scan the floor where you are sat - see if you can see the brain-like fruits.
5) If you do not get instant success, walk very slowly in an ever increasing circle in a likely area.
6) Once you have found one, mark it with something like a stick. The this is very important,check which way the prevailing wind is blowing - not necessarily the wind on that day - but the wind generally as this is where the spores will have blown. Often this is South West - you can get a hint by looking at the trees shape - they will give an indication sometimes as to which direction the wind comes from. Remember - the sun rises in the East so use that as your guide and find the South West direction.
7) Walk slowly and very carefully down the SW wind line, you should find more Morels on that same line - if not you may be at the end of the trail so walk in the other direction - you should go about 100 yards in either direction of the stick - this is about the limit of the spore trail.
Once you have found a nice harvest, you need to leave them in a brown paper bag for at least an hour before cooking or hang them upside down - they often get full of bugs and insects - like all mushrooms, never wash them.
Ok now on to a word of warning - you always need to cook Morels - never eat them raw - simply frying for a few minutes will kill the poison. If you do eat them raw - do not panic, the worst is likely to be an upset tummy which can develop quite bad.
Also - avoid eating morels with much alcohol a glass of wine is OK but not a great deal, the toxin in the Morel can sometimes react with alcohol and make people feel a bit queasy and cause abdominal pains. Wild Mushroom Morel Recipes
My favourite way to cook them is very simply:
1) Slice and fry them in butter (for at least 5 mins on a very hot heat)
2) Fry some garlic
3) Boil some spaghetti
4) Mix it all together with lots of really good - dark olive oil, add a good amount of salt and pepper as it helps the flavour
5) Sprinkle with good quality grated parmesan
6) Pour on glass of good red wine (small glass)
If you think this is too plain then you can try - adding single cream and mixing in makes it really sumptuous
Enjoy!
King of the Plate (Morels with Flour)
You need:
Morels (the more the better)
Butter (3-4 good nobs)
Frying Pan (non-stick is good...iron skillet is better)
Flour (1/2 cup or so)
Salt/Pepper to taste.
Directions:
Melt butter in frying pan (don't overheat it!!!!!)
Coat Morels in flour (either in big plastic bag that has flour in it or using a plate covered in flour)--coat the cleaned morels well with flour.
Sautee mushrooms (gently) in butter/margarine.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Eat.
(recipe courtesy of thegreatmorle.com)
Penne with Peppery Broccoli and Morel Sauce
15g dried morels or similar mushrooms such as cèpes or porcini
110g olive oil
1 onion, minced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 / 1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 cup minced fresh basil or parsley leaves
500g penne or similar tubular dried pasta
1 head of broccoli, separated into flowerets and
stems peeled and cut into l-inch pieces (about 1 pound in all)
Soak in a large bowl in 1 cup boiling water for 20 minutes, drain them, reserving the liquid,and slice them, discarding the tough stems and straining the liquid but reserve 1/3 cup.
Heat the oil over moderate heat until it is hot, add the onion and the mushrooms, and cook the mixture, stirring, until the onion is pale golden. Add garlic and the red pepper flakes and cook the mixture, stirring, for 30 seconds.
Now put the reserved mushroom liquid and salt to taste and simmer the sauce for 1 minute - add a nob of butter.
Stir in the basil. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water cook the penne for 6 minutes, add the broccoli, and cook the mixture for 5 to 6 minutes more, or until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli is just tender. Drain the mixture, transfer it to a heated bowl, and toss it with the sauce. Serve immediately.
Posted By,
autoversicherung vergleich on
October 28,2010
I am doing research for my university paper, thanks for your great points, now I am acting on a sudden impulse.
- Kris
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Spring Mushroom
This section of the site is intended to help the fellow mushroom lover find wild mushrooms throughout the year..jpg)
