Morel Mushrooms - Upstate New York

Morel Mushrooms - Upstate New York

An incredible find against all odds. (not really.)

It was 2020 upstate morel foraging season, and the stakes were high. Too high. My beloved girlfriend (Edit: now Wife!) decided the only way our relationship would survive, was if I presented her with one (1) morel. Just one. “A” morel. That was a simple task, right? How hard could it be? So I scoured over my mushroom literature collection, and read everything there was to know about morels, including the poisonous "false morel” or Gyromitra, that can cause gastrointestinal upset, and potential organ failure.

After weeks of relentless pursuit through the forests of Saratoga county, there they were. A beautiful tall elm tree lost a few branches, and just beneath them, lied dozens of golden morels. I quickly ran back to my girlfriends apartment, and grabbed a butterknife from the drawer. I quickly ran over, and began the collection. I had saved our relationship.

I then called my father (also weirdly in love with mushrooms) to share the splendorous news. We gathered together in the evening for a mushroom-focused soiree. We cooked a chicken breast with mashed potatoes, steamed brocolli, fresh gravy, and of course, morels!

The proper way to enjoy morels for the first time, is simply with butter, salt, and pepper. Too many other flavors would have overpowered the delicate earthy taste of the morel.