Morel Mushroom Study 2010

Hope you have been finding some too. It’s an early season here, Rosey and I found some on Easter Sunday. We found these last week.
Here is a recipe from my book, The Wild & Weedy Apothecary. It is very simple to prepare, and the richeness of the dish will be mitigated when you make your next journey hunting for more morels!

Morel Mushroom Gratin
1 pound fresh morel mushrooms, stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon snipped chives
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
4 tablespoons melted butter
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice mushrooms into rings. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy skillet to medium hot, and then add 2 tablespoons butter. Add mushrooms and briefly saute, then pour into a 9-inch glass pie pan. Pour cream over the mushrooms. Toss together bread crumbs, chives, thymes, and the melted butter in a bowl, and sprinkle evenly over the mushrooms and cream, lightly pressing down to even the surface. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until crisp and golden.

This is so-o-o-o good!

I might also add that when you’re out there looking for mushrooms, there might be other wonders of nature you might come across, flowers, mosses, lichens, various grasses… animals… insects… birds…
and those mushrooms are so-o-o-o good!