Morels the Ozarks Way

Morel mushroom hunting has been a spring ritual here in the Ozarks for as long as I can remember, and certainly well before that.   As a kid I remember my grandpa taking me along with other relatives to wander the woods in search of them.  Mom would fry up a mess or two each spring, then that was it until the next year.  As an adult it has become an annual tradition for my family as well.  We wander the woods near the wet-weather creek on the back of our farm each year hoping to spy morels peeking out from under dead leaves littering the forest floor.  I always have to re-train my eyes to discern them from their surroundings - they are masters of camouflage!

Fortunately, most years we are able to enjoy a meal or two of these wonderful morsels.  This year is no exception!

They look like cone-shaped sponges don't they?  Not very appetizing from that point of view I suppose, unless of course you've grown up like me and think of them as a once-or-twice a year delicacy.

Our tradtional Morel Supper isn't healthy, so if you have an aversion to lots of carbs and fats - look away! This isn't the way we eat most of the time, but for this special treat, we make exceptions!

First thing I do when we return home with a 'mess' of freshly picked morels is rinse them thoroughly, then soak them overnight in salted water in the fridge.  They won't last long so I always cook them the following evening.  First, I rinse them again, pat them to absorb some of the water, and slice them into halves or thirds.

 

Next I coat the morels with flour and a bit of salt.  I let this sit while I cook all the other dishes for the meal - we want those morels freshly fried and hot!  Biscuits are first on the list - we like them drop style...

Next I fry up either bacon or sausage (tonight was bacon) and then use the drippings to make a pan of white gravy - heavy on the salt and pepper of course.

Time to fry the morels!  I heat a frying pan with small amount of oil on high and throw in the morels.  Best to cook 'em fast so they don't turn to mush...a little crisp is best.

Supper's ready!  Not heart-healthy at all - but oh, how happy are our taste buds and tummies :)

 

Weekend Wrap-Up

It has been a good weekend!

Got an early start Saturday morning with my 2 daughters and 2 grandaughters for a morning of yard-sale shopping. One daughter found the bed frame and dust ruffle she had hoped for, the other found an ornate iron bookstand/art stand to hold cookbooks or her latest painting. The grand-girls, ages 7 and 3, tried to purchase something at every stop, and came home with many toys, stuffed animals, fun keychains and hair accessories. I happily dragged home a wonderful old wooden stepstool I'll use to display planters on; some rusty cast iron goodies - stars, keys, butterflies and coat hook; some brown drip pottery to feed that obsession; and a variety of colorful bowls, cups and plates that will hopefully go into my mosaic designs sometime this year. Oh, and an old portable typewriter that I can make jewelry from the keys, or sell the keys or complete typewriter on Ebay.

In the afternoon I got out in the garden and transplanted hyssop, and sowed more cilantro, nasturtiums, marigolds and basil. And enjoyed those wonderful Wisteria blooms that have been such a grand surprise this spring. Sunday turned out cold, drizzly and gray, so I spent most of today indoors cleaning house, which was a very good thing. I started at 5:45 am and only quit because I was too darned tired to do anymore! Plus one of the boys and his son came out for the day and stayed for supper, and I fixed the Morel mushrooms we had found earlier in the week - yum!