Mmmmm...is for Morel

Yet another sign that Spring has, indeed, agreed to return once again: the uniquely beautiful morel. Okay, perhaps beautiful is a stretch--how about visually stimulating and intriguing to the palate?

I have childhood memories of tromping through the forest near my Illinois home--empty bread bag in hand-- following my dad between stinging nettle and poison ivy plants in search of the mythical morel. Although I don't remember personally spotting and collecting any of these well-disguised fungi, the hunt was the fun part. And, somehow, we always ended up back in the kitchen with at least a handful of the brainy treats (thanks to my dad's keen eye, I'm sure). I would get to help prepare them by dipping them in a sloppy egg and flour batter before they were fried up for eatin'.

Upon moving to Washington and marrying a self-proclaimed fungus freak, I have, again, taken up the joyful hobby of wandering somewhat aimlessly through the mossy old forests of this land in the Spring and Fall in search of tasty fungi and whatever else I happen upon. Yesterday, as I tiptoed across mossy fallen trees, which may very well be older than our country, I was halted by a tiny and territorial native Douglas squirrel.

He stared me down and sounded his high pitched alarm for almost five minutes.

I also saw tons of one of my very favorite native plants to this area, whose flowering also happens to be a great indicator that morels are popping up from the earth.

Western Trillium (Trillium ovatum)

Justin and I found a handful of morels. What a treat. As usual, I did not do the initial sighting--perhaps I was too busy playing with squirrels and whispering sweet nothings to all of the Trillium--but, to see the little mushrooms standing proudly in the moss was such a welcoming sign of Spring.