Morel Madness
by Sheila Buff

Morels—those succulent mushrooms with the spongy cap, hollow stem, and wonderful, mild flavor—grow wild all over the Hudson Valley. The peak season is in the early spring, starting as early as the last week in April or first week in May and running for about two to three weeks after that. For mushroom lovers, that brief window is a time to scramble through the woods to harvest the fungal bounty.

Morels commonly grow in the soil of cool, damp hardwood forests, although they can be found anywhere—even growing on lawns and in flower beds. The variety most sought by mushroom hunters is the common or yellow morel (Morchella esculenta). Morels have a distinctive appearance that makes them easy to recognize, but it is possible for beginners to confuse them with other spongy-capped mushrooms that are poisonous. To be certain of your identification, go on your first morel foray with an experienced mushroom hunter (see below for more on this).

If you are fortunate enough to spot a morel, tread carefully—where there’s one morel there are likely to be others, and stepping on them by mistake would deprive you of an additional treat. To harvest morels, use a sharp knife to cut the stem just above the ground. Don’t pull morels up, because that damages the delicate mycelium (the equivalent of roots in fungi) and could keep the morels from coming up again in the same spot next year.

A ripe morel is yellow in color—the color, not the size of the mushroom, indicates maturity. The more mature the morel, the better the flavor will be. Morels should be cooked soon after picking. To store morels for just a day or two, put them in the refrigerator in a paper bag. If you absolutely must store them for longer, put the morels in a basket and cover them with a damp paper towel.

Morels have hollow stems (one good way to be sure of your identification) that are very attractive to unwanted guests such as slugs and pill bugs. Before cooking your morels, slice them lengthwise to check. If you do find something living in the stem, simply remove it and give the mushrooms a quick rinse.

The mild flavor of morels means they go very well with cream sauces, pasta, eggs, and light meats such as poultry. If you are fortunate enough to have more morels than you can eat quickly or give away, they can be dried in a food dehydrator. Dried morels retain their distinctive flavor. As an added bonus, the soaking liquid used to reconstitute them can be strained and then used to flavor soups, stocks, and stews.

The best way to learn how to spot a wild morel and be certain of your identification is to go on a morel foray with experienced mushroom hunters. In the Hudson Valley, the best way to do that is to join up with the friendly, enthusiastic members of the Mid-Hudson Mycological Association (MHMA). Founded in 1983, this group has now grown to over 130 members and runs an active, year-round program of educational meetings and mushroom expeditions. Membership is very inexpensive. For more information, visit the MHMA website at www.mushroomthejournal.com/mhma/.

The current president of the MHMA is chef David Work. A long-time mushroom enthusiast, David not only loves to gather and cook mushrooms (see recipe below), he loves to photograph them. An extensive gallery of his mushroom pictures is found on the MHMA website and on his photo gallery website at www.fiddlehead.smugmug.com.

Spring Tart of Morels, Fiddleheads,Goat Cheese and Ramps

David Work, master chef and president of the MHMA, has kindly shared this recipe. It’s his favorite way to prepare morels, because it combines the flavors of the mushrooms with two other ingredients that epitomize spring flavors: fiddlehead ferns and ramps, a form of wild onion that grows in the same cool woods as morels.

Note: When using wild ingredients, always acquire them from a reputable source. Some varieties of wild mushrooms, wild onions, and ferns can be toxic.

Ingredients

10 oz unsweetened pie dough

2 oz unsalted butter

20 fiddleheads (from ostrich ferns only), rinsed and blanched in boiling salted water for 2 minutes and shocked in ice water

16 fresh or dried and reconstituted morels, sliced crosswise to form rings (if using the dried variety, strain and reserve the liquid soup or stock)

1 cup ramps, cleaned and chopped

1 splash dry vermouth

a few drops lemon juice

salt and black pepper to taste

4 oz fresh goat cheese or fresh farmer’s cheese

3 egg yolks

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon fines herbes (chopped fresh chives, tarragon and chervil)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F

2. Divide the dough into 4 parts and roll each out to about 3/16 of an inch thick. Spray 4 small (4-inch) tart dishes with nonstick pan coating and sprinkle with flour. Press the dough into the tart dishes. Set aside.

3. Heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the morels and allow to gently brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the morels and deglaze the pan with a splash of vermouth. Add the chopped ramps and season with salt and pepper, cooking for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add a few drops of lemon juice. Set aside.

4. Mix together the cream, egg yolks and fines herbes in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Set the tart dishes on a baking pan and divide equal amounts of the fiddleheads, morels and ramps into each. Pour equal amounts of the egg cream mixture into each tart. Dollop small pinches of the goat cheese onto the tarts and press to partially submerge the cheese in the custard. Place the tarts in the oven until custard is just set and pastry is slightly golden, about 15 minutes. Try not to allow the custard to soufflé, as the texture will become grainy. Remove from oven and serve warm.