![\"Facebook\"](\"https:\/\/driftlessappetite.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/social-media-feather\/synved-social\/image\/social\/regular\/96x96\/facebook.png\" "\\"Follow")
<\/a><\/a>![\"twitter\"](\"https:\/\/driftlessappetite.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/social-media-feather\/synved-social\/image\/social\/regular\/96x96\/twitter.png\" "\\"Follow")
<\/a>![\"rss\"](\"https:\/\/driftlessappetite.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/social-media-feather\/synved-social\/image\/social\/regular\/96x96\/rss.png\" "\\"Subscribe")
<\/a>Recently I received a precious package of dried morels\u00a0from my friend Jean of The Silver Star Inn<\/a>.\u00a0 If you have not tasted morels yet, you don’t know what you’re missing.\u00a0 People around these parts go crazy for it.\u00a0 In fact there is even a festival dedicated to this fungi.\u00a0 Mark your calendars for May 15th and 16th if you are\/or will be around\u00a0southwest Wisconsin\u00a0for Muscoda’s Morel Mushroom Festival<\/a>.\u00a0 There will be fried morels, helicopter rides, the customary cheese stand, carnival\u00a0and an antique tractor pull.\u00a0 What more could you want?\u00a0 If you cannot attend the festival you can also get morels by\u00a0hunting for\u00a0them.\u00a0 I’ve never\u00a0done so partly because I’m afraid that I might pick up\u00a0“false morels”\u00a0which are toxic instead of the real ones.\u00a0 Another reason is that it is easier to buy them from the numerous road stands that pop up during the second\u00a0week of\u00a0May (usually sold at about $20-$25 per pound).\u00a0 This year, I’m excited to go on my first mushroom gathering\u00a0with Jean and her daughter Ayla around their property so I can be an official “shroomer”.\u00a0 What did you think I was talking about anyway?<\/p>\n Morels have a gentle creamy and nutty flavor so\u00a0it’s best to prepare them\u00a0as simply as\u00a0possible.\u00a0\u00a0 To rehydrate, I soaked them in warm water for about 15 min.\u00a0 (Remember not to throw away the water for later use.)\u00a0 Then I browned some butter, added the morels and a clove of finely chopped garlic, and tossed some cooked cellentani (corkscrew) pasta in the pan.\u00a0 (If the pasta looks a little dry, add a little\u00a0bit of the soaking water.)\u00a0\u00a0Next I added\u00a0salt and pepper, some leftover sopraffina ricotta from Grande<\/a>, and a sprinkling of chives that have recently grown back from the garden.\u00a0\u00a0Oh,\u00a0and adding a\u00a0little grated\u00a0parmigiano reggiano highlights the nuttiness of the morels.\u00a0 A perfect meal!<\/p>\n Visit The Great Morel Home Page<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/driftlessappetite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/morels.jpg\" "\\"morels\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/driftlessappetite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/morelsandpasta.jpg\" "\\"morelsandpasta\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"