Forget Fried Morels- Foraging Goes Upscale

Nothing gets under my skin quite like the mistreatment of wild mushrooms. You know the drill. You dress in long pants, long sleeves, hat, hose yourself with bug spray, grab a mesh bag and wander around the woods for a few hours. You nudge leaves, poke around the ground with a stick, scream at spiders and snakes, scuffle around the mud and muck and if you're lucky, you come home with a couple dozen morel mushrooms. Like so many other uninspired people you soak them, rinse them, dry them, dip them in eggs and crushed crackers and fry them. Dip in the requisite ketchup or ranch dressing. Ho hum. Not only is that so old and boring, but in my opinion, you just ruined them. Morels, and any other wild mushroom or foraged food, is so much more than a quick pan fry. They are, after all, considered by many to be the The King of Mushrooms, right?

Here in Iowa people seem to be stuck on the morel. Don't get me wrong, the morel is a real delight if you're lucky enough to find them, and they're here for such a short season. Getting friends out in the woods after morel season has ended is just about impossible, but that's when some of the real treasures of the woods are popping up and making their appearance- chanterelles, black trumpets, chicken of the woods and hen of the woods- all incredibly delicious, and growing right in our own backyards. In order to gain inspiration and learn more, and see these mushrooms in recipes, I have joined online groups with members who appreciate the morel, and so much more.

Like I often do, I began chatting with and got to know several really amazing cooks in some of the online wild mushroom and foraged food groups. One group in particular held a special appeal for me. The first thing I noticed was the level of creativity in these dishes folks were crafting and the sheer skill they were demonstrating. Asian noodle bowls brimming with wild mushrooms. Italian-inspired pasta dishes and even a version of pesto made from chanterelles and other wild mushrooms. I learned about all kinds of edible mushrooms I never knew existed! And truffles- in Oregon people harvest truffles! I had no idea....... Anyway, one of these amazing cooks is Mary Smiley, the founder of the group Cooking With Wild Mushrooms, and when I asked the group if anyone would be willing to share some recipes and photos, Mary was happy to. You can thank me later.

Like I  mentioned, Mary Smiley is the founder of this very cool Facebook group. This group is unlike any other wild foods group I have ever seen. These folks have an incredible talent for cooking and group's sole focus is cooking- not posting pictures of "what mushroom is this" and other nonsense, it's all about the cooking. No, they don't just bread and fry mushrooms, holy heck they create dishes worthy of any Michelin Star restaurant. I am absolutely serious. The pictures could grace any cookbook, ingredients varied, everything from appetizers to soups to desserts. I recently asked Mary if she would be willing to share some of her beautiful photos, maybe a recipe or two, and a little story about her foraging and her cooking background.

I joined this group right at the height of chanterelle season. It was pure torture. If you have never tasted a chanterelle, you have been missing out. They are very striking in appearance and have a firm meaty texture. They don't have a stem and cap like regular grocery store mushrooms- they have an almost flower-like shape, like tulips. The color is incredible- a bright beautiful yellow orange shade.  Luckily they are easy to find in dehydrated form, but what I wouldn't give for a nice quantity of fresh chanties. 

Baked eggs with garlic chive chevre, sauteed shallots and
chanterelles and ramp pesto

Mary shared so many pictures of incredible dishes, it was hard to decide which ones to share. She has literally every meal covered- baked eggs with mushrooms, all kinds of lighter options for lunch, hearty pasta for dinner, even candied mushrooms in a caramel sauce for dessert. Yep, you heard me right. Candied. Chanterelles. Caramel sauce. You're welcome.

Candied chanterelles with dried apricot in caramel sauce

In another recipe she steeps candy cap mushrooms, known for their maple flavor, in cream before making the perfect Creme Brulee with a flawless crisp sugar crust. I can't speak for everyone but I absolutely adore Creme Brulee and Mary's version sounds absolutely heavenly. She is right on point with the current trend of slightly savory desserts.

Like I said- creativity is off the chart. Another foraged mushroom that Mary cooks with is the popular chicken of the woods. This is a huge mushroom that grows almost like a colony on trees. Chicken of the woods grow all over where I live and have been a favorite of mine ever since I was a little kid. I remember my dad lugging home great big bags full of them every year. Why are they called chicken of the woods? Simple- when cooked they take on the flavor and texture of chicken breast fillets. They are so versatile and you can imagine Mary is using them in some fun recipes.

Chicken of the woods pot pie? Sure, I'll take one!

Morels, hericium, black trumpets and more, get the gourmet treatment from Mary too. Let's get to know Mary and maybe she will share a recipe.

1. Mary where in the world did you learn to cook all these amazing mushroom dishes?   I just read cookbooks and then either follow or dream up my own recipes based on ideas I get from recipes I've read.

2. Do you have a favorite wild mushroom?  My favorite wild mushroom is the Boletus edulis, a.k.a. porcini.

3. Wild edibles tend to be vastly different from region to region. What state do you live in and what are the top three most popular wild mushrooms in your area?   I currently live in southwest Florida, but there are not a lot of edible wild mushrooms where I live. We do have chanterelles and shaggy manes, chicken of the woods, but nothing like the edibles you find in the Pacific Northwest, California or even the Midwest. 

I learned about mushrooms when I lived in California, in the San Francisco Bay area. I have also lived in Seattle, Montana and Oregon. The trees are different, and of course the terrain, geography and climates are vastly different. Every time I moved I had to learn everything all over again. There is nowhere like Florida tho- crazy mushrooms and none of the rules apply.

4. You founded the group Cooking With Wild Mushrooms- with over 4000 members did you ever think the group would get so big and have such an impressive group of cooks?  I have another group, wildmushroomhunting.org, which is both an online forum with lots of discussion forums within, as well as my Facebook group with the same name. That group has over 7,000 members. I am purposely trying to keep my cooking group contained and smaller by really vetting each and every person who requests membership. If you don't have anything showing an interest in wild mushrooms, you don't get in. I have noticed in other groups when the number of members climbs over 5,000 the problems begin with controlling people and fighting, and other unpleasant things begin to happen. So in this case, less is more.

5. What other wild foods do you enjoy?  I pick berries, ramps,wild garlic, nuts, whatever I can find that I am familiar with. I am growing an edible landscape in my backyard and have bananas, pineapples, mangoes, papayas, limes, lemons, key limes, lychee, avocado, olives, passion fruit, coconut trees (no fruit yet), elderberries, peaches, figs, kaffir limes, ginger and cape gooseberries.

I am hoping to give people ideas so they will try new ways of preparing their wild mushrooms. Frankly, I'm getting tired of the same old pizzas and pot pies. I want people to think outside the box and experiment. My goal this week is to do a new chanterelle recipe every day for a week to show people the variety of what can be done, and that it doesn't have to be a challenge to do it, and to learn to have fun in the kitchen. I know I have!

Chanterelle ravioli in sweet corn saffron broth

6. Any advice for the novice mushroom forager? The best advise is to never ever eat a mushroom if you are not 100% certain of it's identity and always ask an expert for ID help. There are common look-alike mushrooms that can fool people. There are also deadly poisonous mushrooms, so never eat a mushroom you can't identify. 

I asked Mary if she had any favorite recipes- she really didn't have a favorite, per se, but she was kind enough to share the recipe for that amazing chanterelle ravioli in sweet corn broth so let's head into the kitchen and make this beautiful dish.

Mary's Chanterelle Ravioli in Sweet Corn Saffron Broth

For the ravioli:
1/2 pound (approximately) Chanterelles, cleaned
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup Mexican crema
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
salt and pepper
fresh pasta dough 

For the broth:
3 cups water
2 cloves garlic,cut in half
1/2 cup minced onion
3 ears of fresh sweet corn, cut from the cob
pinch of saffron

Slice the chanterelles. 

In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil. Add the mushrooms, shallots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Saute over low heat, covered for about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the broth ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for an hour. Remove from heat and allow to cool before straining. Reheat the broth when ready to serve.

Place the cooled mushrooms in a food processor and pulse to chop. Remove to a bowl and gently mix in the crema, rosemary, and Parmigiano and mix well. Taste for seasoning.

Roll the pasta dough thinly and cut into squares. Fill with a small scoop of the filling, moisten with a little water and top with a second pasta sheet, pressing to seal. Mary used homemade pasta dough for her ravioli. Sometimes I use wonton skins to save time and it works like a charm, using an egg wash to seal them.

Cook the ravioli in boiling salted water until cooked through. Fresh pasta cooks quickly so don't stray too far from the pot. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in shallow bowls. Ladle the sweet corn broth over and garnish with fresh rosemary leaves.

This dish is simply gorgeous and is worthy of ANY fine dining restaurant. It makes a fantastic first course for just about any cuisine. Chanterelles are a very special treat and saffron just brings this broth to the next level. 

I enjoy browsing the group every day and marveling over all the new dishes people are sharing. Now if I can just find time to get out in the woods!

**All photos are property of Mary Smiley

Chef's Day Off with Chef Todd Leech

Morel mushroom season is just about wrapped up here in Iowa. The Chef and I ventured out on a handful of occasions and came home empty-handed each time. Darn it. I had big plans for those little woodland wonders. Our quest for spring foraged foods was fruitless- we found the stumps of already-snatched wild asparagus and one single, sad pheasantback mushroom that was a day past it's prime and too tough to cook. There's always next year.

Pheasantback mushrooms grow on a dead tree

In the meantime, we get to live vicariously through our friends. Our chef buddy Todd Leech lives in Wisconsin and while he primarily spends time in the woods taking amazing pictures of flora and fauna, he finds some of the most awesome wild mushrooms. Wisconsin is right next door to Iowa, just off to the northwest, and our climates are very similar. They have a harsher winter than we do here in west central Iowa, and I'd guess the cool spring weather hangs on a bit longer as well. 

Hey! What's going on out there?

Normally I ooh and ahh over his pictures of ducks and birds, deer and turtles. Loads of wildlife. Beautiful plants and flowers. Lately it's been mushrooms. Pheasantback mushrooms in particular. Of course this caught my eye immediately- not only the object I lust after while risking my life and limb in tick-filled muddy woods, tromping around like Bigfoot trying not fall and kill myself but also my favorite of all wild mushrooms (that I have been able to try so far, anyway).

The Chef and I found only ONE all season- Todd
finds them everywhere!

When I heard Todd was going to be on the news, I asked him to share the details with me. Always willing to help a friend he not only shared but provided all the fantastic photos for this story. So how did this all come about? Todd was out and about doing what he enjoys on his time off, wandering the woods looking for interesting subjects to photograph when we received a message from a buddy of his, Scott Steele, who is a weatherman on their local NBC affiliate, WTMJ TV. 

Chef Todd Leech with Scott Steele

Scott said he was working on a story about hunting wild mushrooms and wondered if Todd might be interested in doing a segment. Since he was already prowling the woods, he agreed. Good timing for the story too, as Todd had just found some downed trees with lots of mushrooms growing on the wood. The crew had never seen mushrooms like these, some were the size of dinner plates.

See the video.

Filming in the forest

Cooking with wild mushrooms is a real treat. Whether you bought them or actually found them yourself, they are unlike the plain old white mushrooms you can get in any grocery store. Morel mushrooms are often breaded and fried but they also are often braised and served with rich gravies and sauces. Caramelized with onions and draped on a pizza or a hunk of juicy steak is an out of this world preparation. The morels are hollow and are also great for stuffing. They are very versatile and have a mild flavor. As a chef Todd hasn't had the opportunity to use wild mushrooms all that often. He has prepared dishes for mushroom themed events in the past but used "wild" mushrooms from purveyors, not actually foraged. Many states prohibit using foraged foods in commercial kitchens.

Pheasantback mushrooms, also known as Dryad's Saddle, in many ways resemble the big portobella caps. They don't have gills to remove, which is a plus, but they must be found when young and tender- they quickly turn into a piece of inedible show leather if they are even slightly past their prime. Slice these beauties and you get to experience their watermelon-like fragrance. Saute is some butter and olive oil and use is any recipe you'd use mushrooms in. The definitely do not taste like watermelon. They taste like mushrooms, not as bland as button mushrooms but not overly woodsy either. Absolutely worth the effort to look for these guys.

In this part of the country there are many different kinds of mushrooms to hunt for, from chanterelles and oysters to chicken of the woods. Each one is unique and delicious. Be sure you have properly identified any mushroom you plan on eating. There are poisonous mushrooms in the wild and some are deadly. 

Creamy Potato, Leek and Morel Mushroom Soup

1 pound fresh morel mushrooms, chopped

2 leeks, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

3 cups chicken stock, divided

1 cup white wine

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper

Bring 2 cups chicken stock to a boil in medium saucepan. Add potato cubes, reduce heat, cover and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.

In stockpot melt the butter. Add the chopped morels and leeks. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until the morels are tender and leeks are very soft, about 15-20 minutes.

Add the fresh thyme to the pot and stir for a minute. Add the wine wine and cook until wine has almost evaporated (at least reduced by half). Add the remaining cup of stock.

Using an immersion blender (or regular blender if you don't have one) blend the cooked potatoes with the stock they were cooked in until smooth. Add to the stockpot. Taste for seasoning.

When ready to serve, add the heavy cream and heat thoroughly.

The soup is beautiful garnished with a sprinkle of fresh chives or additional thyme. This is such an upscale version of mushroom soup and it's just delicious. The potatoes add body and substance and the mushrooms are so earthy and savory. You can substitute any mushrooms you like.

So what happens if you spend a Saturday out hunting and you happen to get lucky and find....... well, tons of awesome mushrooms? Preserve them! Most mushrooms can be dehydrated and used later in all sorts of sauces and dishes. Some can be frozen as well, and in the case of Chicken of the Woods, the freezer is the preferred method of preservation.

Besides being an amazing photographer, Todd is the Executive Sous Chef at McCormick and Schmick in Milwaukee, where he is in charge of the day-to-day operation. He orders all the fresh seafood, produce and meats, handles fish fabrication and makes sure everyone in the kitchen has what they need to get the job done. He also manages the kitchen staff and monitors every dish for consistency, quality and plating. Every batch has to be the same, has to meet the same standards and if it doesn't, it's on him to figure out what happened. That is a lot of long days and late nights.

All photos by Todd Leech

Todd is a graduate of Des Moines Area Community College's culinary program. I asked him what he thought about culinary school versus real life experience and he feels a great chef can come out of either "school"- it's all about skill and execution. A successful chef, in his opinion, must have a mastery of butchering, knowledge of the mother sauces, and ideally started at the bottom and worked their way up, just as he did starting at The Embassy Club in Des Moines.

Originally from Des Moines, Todd moved to Wisconsin in the 1990s. He and his lovely wife Diane share their home with their two furgirls, Marley and Riley, and enjoy spending time with their family.

Urban Foraging

I don't normally think of the city as a great source for foraging, but my eyes have been opened after talking with friends about their experiences in different cities around the world. When I think about it, and consider the number of beautiful flowering trees planted all over cities to make them more beautiful in the springtime, I should have thought about this before. Now it's starting to make sense!

Sue's beautiful blackberries

Not to be mistaken with the "freegan" lifestyle, which includes dumpster diving for food, rather urban foragers find free edible plants such as fruits and leafy greens. My friend Sue, for example, who lives in Rotterdam, normally shares pictures of her incredible curries and Asian style dishes, all homemade and flawlessly executed. Today she shared a couple pictures of pears and Damson plums she found IN THE CITY! So that started our conversation. 

Damson plums Sue found in Rotterdam

Sue called these stone pears. Aren't they gorgeous?

Not only does she find these beautiful fruits, but blackberries, raspberries, hazelnuts and more. I was immediately inspired to find out more. Foraging is nothing new to me- I live in the country, but in the cities? 

My friend Kevin, who lives in Des Moines, picks black raspberries, mulberries and elderberries in the city. Vivian, also from Des Moines, found an apple tree at a nearby business and had picked apples. Brianna found a fig tree at Georgia Regents University in Augusta, Georgia. More mulberries have been picked by Laura in Clarinda, Iowa, from a tree on a vacant lot. She says she has picked pounds of berries from that tree. Crab apple trees line many parking lots all over the city and people are picking them! It's pretty amazing when you think about how many sources there really are for free food if you know where to look, and carry a plastic bag with you of course!

Of course, if you are an experienced forager you already know you have a virtual salad bar right in your own lawn. Young dandelion greens and plantain leaves make great additions to salads. Many flowers, such as violets and roses, can be steeped as used for teas, jellies and more. 

Plantain, the menace of yard freaks everywhere.

Most of us know at least one homeowner in the city whose lawn is overrun in the fall with black walnuts strewn about, and their smelly and oily black shells decaying all over. My friend Ronda, who lives in Alabama, has a similar "problem" with pecans. I wish I had a pecan problem actually!

So what do we do with all these foraged finds? Let's make a simple salad using plantain.

2 cups young plantain leaves, washed and chopped
2 cups mixed baby lettuces
1/2 red onion, sliced
sliced cucumber or grape tomatoes, if desired
chopped herbs of choice
1/4 olive oil
2-3 tb white balsamic vinegar
1 tb dijon mustard
salt and pepper 

In a large bowl combine all the vegetables. In jar, mix oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper, shake vigorously. Pour about half the dressing over the vegetables; toss well. Add more dressing if needed. Serve on chilled plates.

NOTE:  There are lots of sources for foraging information online and in books. Make sure you know what you're eating. Pick from unsprayed, untreated areas and if permission is needed, make sure you get it. NEVER eat a berry or mushroom or plant of any kind unless you are absolutely sure it is safe.

Foraging for delicious

Ahhhhhhh spring- I have soooo been waiting for you!! Besides the warmer days and no more playing auto hockey, the amazing gifts of nature appear, and people all over the country are wandering the woodlands looking for tasty tidbits.

Foraging varies from region to region. I've heard people talk about fiddleheads, yet in Iowa I have never seen one. Wild asparagus grows in ditches along country roads, if you know of a good spot. It can be hard to find until it's too late and the fronds are overgrown- but remember that spot for next year! Mushrooms of many kinds grow in different areas. Iowa is one of the states blessed to have the morel mushroom and my favorite, the pheasantback mushroom. 

Berries and fruits appear at different times of the year as well, from May apples in the spring to wild plums in the fall, there is always something delicious growing if you know what you're looking for, and you know whereto find it.

My personal favorite of all the foraged foods is without a doubt, the ramp. They are sometimes called wild leek or wild onion, and they are super easy to identify and so amazingly delicious with their garlicky flavor. I live in the country and have the perfect ramp spot so I just carry a dandelion removing tool thingy (yes, that is their actual name) with me in the car and when I have a few minutes- I duck into the woods and come out with a few big fistfuls. The entire plant (except the roots) is edible. The bulb, which looks alot like your grocery store spring onion, has a very pungent garlic-like flavor and a little goes a long long way in seasoning. The tender leaves have a more oniony taste. I absolutely LOVE making a skillet of fried potatoes and tossing in a handful of sliced ramps near the end. Some pieces get brown and caramelized, others just melt into the potatoes. Simple and heavenly.

The ramp season in Iowa isn't all that long- just a few weeks of the right temperatures and then it gets hot, they turn tough, and you are out of luck until next year. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing but ramps are one of the new trendy foods in the foodie scene- chefs allover are using them in restaurants and recipes, which makes our humble ramp very popular, the the foraging competition more fierce. If you are lucky enough to find them, take a few moments and consider what you want to do with them. If you are a HUGE fan, as I am, I like to get as many as I can find, and preserve them for use all year long.

There are several options for preserving ramps. I slice them up like you would spring onions and put them in freezer bags and toss in the freezer. It's easy to break off a chunk for a recipe and just toss it in- no need to thaw. You can also slice and dehydrate them. I think this works great too but the flavor isn't as well preserved, but it's an acceptable option, especially if you are afraid of losing those baggies in the freezer (been there, done that).

Another idea is to make a compound butter using just the green part for a more subtle, less pungent flavor. It's super easy to put together and roll into logs, wrap, freeze, and slice off portions for topping a steak, potatoes, roasting poultry or tossing with cooked vegetables. For a compound butter you will need:

1 lb butter, softened (NEVER EVER use margarine)

2 cups sliced or chopped ramp leaves

2 tb lime juice

Buzz this in the food processor and divide into 4 portions. Using plastic wrap, form into logs, wrap tightly, pack into freezer bag and freeze. If the mixture is too soft to roll, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes or so and roll when it holds its shape.

Another idea is to pickle them, and you'd end up with something a lot like pickled garlic. If you want to go with pickled ramps, here is what you need-

Ramps

half pint jelly jars (washed, rinsed and holding in simmering water)

vinegar

water

kosher salt

pickling spices, if desired

I use the smaller half pint jars for ramps- it's a manageable amount to have open and they look really nice in the jars standing up. Trim the ramps so that the top is about 1/2 inch from the rim of the jar (don't forget to trim off roots). Pack them into the HOT jars so they stand up and are fairly tightly packed in there. This is just me- you don't HAVE to be fancy, you can just pack them in the hot jars however you like. Add a 1/2 teaspoon of kosher, not table, salt to each jar, and any herbs or spices you like (this part is optional). In a saucepan heat equal amounts apple cider or white vinegar (must have 5% acidity) to boil. Pour boiling liquid over the ramps in the jars. Remove air bubbles, leave about a half inch headspace. Fix lids and rings.

Now.......you can either process in a boiling water bath and they will be sealed and shelf stable, or you can just refrigerate them (they MUST remain refrigerated if you choose this method). If you decide to boiling water bath them- 5 minutes processing time is what you need. Make sure all jars have sealed and refrigerate any that haven't.

Use pickled ramps just like you would pickled garlic- in recipes, on relish trays, antipasti. 

Now that you've learned a little about ramps, I hope you will try to find some and try them. Since they are so trendy I'm sure you CAN find them in specialty stores but the best part of ramps is the hunt, the fresh air, the woods, and digging them out with your own two hands. Go hunt some!