Sunday, April 12, 2009

Studies in Morel Development

What's that big banner doing on our blog?

I'm glad you asked.
As of today, fourteen lucky food bloggers have received 1 oz. of dried morel mushrooms from Marx Foods. We are one of those bloggers (OK, technically WE are two bloggers; but, we're ONE of the participating food blogs). With said mushrooms, we have received a mission:
  1. Create a delectable, original recipe featuring dried morels
  2. Get as many kind readers as possible to vote for said recipe (voting starts April 16th)
If we succeed, we will receive 2 lbs of fresh morels just as soon as the morel season begins in Washington.

We received our ounce of morels on Thursday afternoon. And since then, we've been wracking our brains to come up with the most scrump-dilly-ishous dish we could think of... something that would showcase the nutty, earthy flavor of the morels. Something interesting (NOT boring). And accessible (everyone can make it). And unique (we've not seen anything like it around). And ( ) phenomenally delicious.

After much deliberation, we decided upon this lovely morel strata. Delicious, buttery homemade lemon-thyme biscuits covered in sauteed leeks and morels and surrounded by a rich, creamy morel-and-lemon-infused custard. The perfect dish for your upcoming spring brunch... Your next luncheon... Or tomorrow's dinner.
Recipe: Morel & Leek Strata with Lemon Thyme Biscuits
(We'll post all the juicy details a bit later on in the week... along with a link to the site where you can vote!)
Now that you're drooling, maybe you're interested in procuring your very own batch of morels. If so, check out these lovely items at Marx Foods:
Fresh Morels
Dried Morels

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37 comments:

  1. Great for this time of the year!! Will wait for the recipe.

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  2. I cry discrimination! Canadians get left out of such swag. Scoring free morels is the next best thing to a lottery win.

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  3. You have my vote-this looks delicious!

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  4. You never make anything boring!!! You've got my vote!!!!

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  5. Oh that looks lush. SO maybe if you hit the morel jackpot, you'll share with all your friends? They are the most elusive of shrooms. Dried stink. Have you ever hunted for them?

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  6. Ken - I've hunted (and eaten) fresh puffballs, but have never found a stash of morels (in all their stinky glory) Maybe someday...

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  7. What a great idea! It looks delicious!

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  8. Lo, thank you so much for visiting and commenting on my blog!! I am grateful to find new readers, as I'm such a novice at blogging and photography. And I am always thrilled to find new blogs like yours to follow!

    I love love love morels (any mushroom really). They are so earthy and warm, even though some people might be turned off by their looks. I think they're divine!

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  9. This looks wonderful. As an ex Chicago girl I can tell you that you have my vote - twice!

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  10. Lo
    I've never had the pleasure of eating a morel-at $50/lb!! But so far I've never met a mushroom I didn't like. Maybe one day...
    Nice blog
    Shoy

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  11. Very nice recipe. I like that your recipe has homemade biscuits in it. All too often strata like this is made with either bread or Bisquick.

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  12. I've never heard of morels. I always learn new things when I come here!

    Thanks for reading my post on Venus vs. Mars. I was really hurt when that friend got upset. We were really close, and I'd already attended two parties for her birthday. The way she reacted shocked me, and it hurt she would get so mad over something I thought was so logical. I'm glad to know that there's more women like me! :)

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  13. Wow, you are soooo lucky! They look so good. I have never had fresh ones before and would love the chance to try them someday!

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  14. Fresh morel mushrooms - how wonderful! The strata sounds excellent and you definitely have my vote!

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  15. Hi Lo - Thanks for your comment on my blog! This looks delicious!

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  16. Very cool. I am not sure I'd know what to do with morels myself, but I'm glad you did!

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  17. Those look amazing!! I use a magic bullet for my smoothies - it's cheaper than a vitamix and can do a lot of the same things.

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  18. What a lovely strata - I'll be sure to come back to get the details on how to vote! Very cute blog :)

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  19. You can count of my vote...just let me know! :)
    ~ingrid

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  20. goodness - that looks incredible! do you mind if i add you to my blogroll?

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  21. It looks incredible! It's notoriously hard to find morels here. I found the dried variety once but they were soooo expensive that I carefully put them back where I found them. Which also means I've never eaten them but this recipe sounds delicious, so if I ever get to find fresh ones.... I might give them a try!

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  22. you stole my heart with that breakfasty dish and the abundant use of eggs. got my vote for sure! now...what about some of that delicious strata?

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  23. Pearl - No argument whatsoever! Thanks for visiting! And I'll be keeping an eye on your blog too!

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  24. Nice creation here! The biscuits also sound so good.

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  25. Lo! that frittata looks lovely, and so professional. Thanks so much for reading my blog! Can't wait to read yours.

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  26. Thanks for all the great comments, guys! We always love your feedback, and it's great to hear that we'll have your support for this fun event.

    We'll be keeping you updated on the voting both on the blog and on twitter (Burp_Blog).

    Polls are set to open around NOON tomorrow (4/16) and will remain open until 4/21.

    Happy Voting!
    And Happy Eating!

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  27. A most excellent entry, my dear!

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  28. I am voting for you two, NOW! Your strata recipe looks too good not to win!

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  29. I love fresh morels! They're so pretty and tasty!

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  30. Beautiful! I don't like mushrooms and I can easily imagine that it's sausage. I'm easy to please, I guess.

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  31. That looks incredible! Who doesn't love gorgeous morels? I'm going morel hunting in early May. Hopefully I can use some of my bounty to make this gorgeous dish.

    Best,
    Emily
    www.justeatfood.com

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  32. A very creative recipe for the noble morel. Thanks for wracking your brains.

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We're thrilled that you came to visit us here at BURP! Thanks so much for taking the time to write. We're not always able to respond to every comment, but we'll make every effort to answer questions in a timely fashion. We especially enjoy reading about what's going on in your own creative kitchens. So, don't be shy!

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