The Morel of the Story

 

I love discovering and cooking with foods I've never tried before, I give the credit to my parents who introduced me to a wide range of cuisines as a child. I learned not to be afraid to try things I'd never thought of eating before. It also helped that I had a Vietnamese grandmother who is well regarded even 12 years after her passing for her amazing skills in the kitchen. The lesson? Give your kids a varied diet, they only like mac & cheese because that's all you serve! Throw in some sushi and Indian curry and give them a sophisticated palate at an early age. That is the only parenting advice I'll offer on this blog, I'm actually slightly allergic to children.

Anyway, as I was browsing the produce section at work I saw that our morel mushrooms were on sale for $9.99 a deep discount from the regular price of $14.99. I recalled an episode I saw recently on the Food Network where Anne Burrell cooked morel mushrooms with fresh spring vegetables and how amazing it looked. With the price of these mushrooms it's no wonder I've never tried them before, but the sale price had me putting these fungi in my basket.

Pairing these mushrooms with fresh spring vegetables that are in season is a must. I chose fava beans (another first for me), green beans, and asparagus. Eating vegetables that are in season gives them so much more flavor, plus its more likely to be sourced locally which supports the farmers in your area and that's important!

This recipe is perfect if your having people over and don't want to spend all your time in the kitchen. The vegetables can be blanched well ahead of time and only need to be sauteed briefly before serving. You can even serve the final product at room temperature, it's just as tasty. I'm drawn to recipes that are easy to prepare, I went through a 5 year stage where I only wanted to cook gourmet meals that took hours and hours to prepare and minutes to eat, and while I still respect the time it takes to make some dishes, mainly I just want something quick, easy, and delicious. This certainly fits the bill..

Adapted from a recipe by Anne Burrell
Sauteed Spring Veggies w/ Morel Mushrooms
Serves 6 

1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
2 cups green beans, ends removed
1 cup shelled fava beans
2 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves
1 cup morel mushrooms, rinsed and cut lengthwise in quarters
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
salt

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water and salt it well. Place the vegetables in the boiling water in small batches for 3 minutes and place it immediately in the ice water. Blanch the fava beans last since their iron content turns the water black. After the beans are cooled, remove the tough outer skin. Leave the veggies in the ice bath long enough to cool them completely, if they are warm on the inside your spring veggies will continue to cook and turn mushy.

Melt butter in a large saute pan. Crush the garlic and remove the outer layer and add to the saute pan. Bring the pan to a medium high heat. When the garlic has become golden brown and aromatic remove it from the pan and discard it. This gives the veggies a hint of garlic without overpowering the final dish. Add the mushrooms and stock, season with salt, and saute for 1 minute. Add the prepared veggies, season with salt and saute until all the ingredients are coated with butter and hot and almost all the stock has evaporated. Serve immediately or later at room temperature.