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| A spring treat: morels from the forest and fresh-from-the-garden asparagus. |
Our garden served up the asparagus. The asparagus is easy. All you have to do is dig trenches one or two feet deep, plant the asparagus crowns, wait three years, and hello! If the slugs or asparagus beetles don't get them, you can go out there with your little cutter thing and harvest during the month of April.
We planted crowns 20 years ago and others about 10 years ago. Despite the bugs and slugs, we enjoy a steady spring harvest. Did I envision 20 years ago that I'd be cutting spears in 2013? No. But when in your life can you foresee what will come of your actions so far in advance? Gardening provides a window on the future, and a hold on it. Too bad you have to BE in the future to believe it.
Morels? Different story. We've been skunked on a our recent morel hunts. But the day that our guy delivered the goods, we had a feast comprising fresh morels, just-picked asparagus, and roasted red peppers. Wow! A couple days later, with another asparagus harvest and no morels, I repeated this recipe but used portobello mushrooms, which weren't quite as delicious. But what can you do when the morels shrink and hide? Just run down to Costco and hunt for portobellos.
Recipe and photos follow.
Morel & Asparagus Stir Fry
Morel or other mushrooms, about a pound, rinsed and slicedFresh asparagus, about a pound, rinsed, woody stems removed, and sliced
Juice of half a fresh lemon
Roasted red peppers in a jar, about three whole, drained and cut into strips
2 Tbsp butter or olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Rinse the morels, drain and slice into rounds. Saute in oil or butter until all the moisture has been released. Remove to a glass bowl.Saute the asparagus for a few minutes over medium-high heat. You want it crisp/tender. Squeeze the half lemon over it. Add the cooked mushrooms and the red peppers. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Serves two or three generously.
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| Fresh raw just-harvested morels. These are large and in perfect condition. |
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| Rinse the mushrooms, slice, and saute in olive oil and/or butter. |
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| Cook until the liquid has evaporated. |
My mouth is watering just looking at the picture of that gorgeous dish. Haven't had any magnanimous neighbours delivering wild mushrooms to my door but I can't complain because I do get the largesse of their wild-caught salmon, halibut, crab, and shrimp as well as custom smoked fish treats. One fellow brings us his pickled salmon/onion which is fabulous. Another neighbour gives us bags full of moose and venison after his hunting trip. So, yeah, I'd feel like an ungrateful twit bemoaning the lack of mushrooms. There is no sign, yet, of green phalli poking through the mulch in my asparagus bed. This is their 3rd year of residency so I should be able to do some harvesting. I moved mine to a raised bed which I'm hoping will mean that only the most athletic and intelligent slugs will find them. I'm going to have a bumper crop of volunteer cilantro. Think I'll start some seeds today. The past couple years I've given in to rampant optimism and started them too early but we do seem to be having a milder, earlier spring than usual so it will be difficult to keep myself from feeling hopeful. Even in an old and somewhat cynical person such me it does still spring eternal and all. At least, as far as gardening is concerned.
ReplyDeleteI'll take the salmon, halibut, crab, and shrimp and custom-smoked fish over the morels any day.
DeleteAlso, the moose, the venison, and the generous hunter gatherers who are your neighbors. There's a lot to be said for living in the Canadian wilds.
Our asparagus continues to produce and I am cutting it daily now. We don't have a huge bed and we are keeping up with it. A couple days ago I made my first hollandaise sauce, which was fabulous on the asparagus, but my god, i had no idea the ratio of eggs yolks to butter is 3 yolks to 2 sticks! and a little bit of lemon and vinegar. Tasted great and had a creamy texture and bright color due to the yoga teacher's eggs, but it does not reheat well. I'll end up throwing it away. (We're babysitting a dog. Should I feed it to her???)
I'm about to go on the hunt for more asparagus recipes. I don't have enough to pickle. Freezing does not appeal.