The Elusive Morel

Much like its cousin the truffle, morels are some of the most elusive mushrooms around. They have never been successfully cultivated and their short growing season means that when they’re gone, they’re gone, so they can fetch a high price at area Farmer’s Markets. However, mushroom lovers prize their musky, loamy taste no matter what the cost.

It is true that sometimes you can find them in great quantities. For some unknown reason, they grow very well in areas that have recently been affected by forest fires. However, many times novice mushroom hunters can be standing in the middle of a morel gold mine and not realize it. It’s not hard to see why. It takes a practiced eye to spot them among the roots, rocks and other plants out in the woods. John Cage, one of the most influential American composers of the 20th Century was once asked how he would go about foraging for morels. His advice was to “Go into the woods and look, and if you don’t find any, don’t worry.”

Fortunately, our friends at Foraged & Found Edibles have their own secret spots where they collect the delicious ‘shrooms. After they bring us the rewards of their hunt, we roast them with a bit of olive oil and some spices. We pair them with the delicious chicken sausage made by Isernio’s here in Seattle. This light, fresh sausage perfectly complements the rich, earthy mushroom. After you taste it, you will see why people spend hours out in the woods hunting for them. We’ve made it easy, though. Just give us a call and we’ll deliver this treasure of the forest to you. No foraging required!