GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - If you’ve always wanted to learn more about intentionally finding and harvesting wild mushrooms, then a new book, “Untamed Mushrooms: From Field to Table," is for you.
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Filled with expert advice, extraordinary photography, and over 100 recipes that celebrate the seasons. Go to www.untamedmushrooms.com for details.
A TANGLE OF SPRING GREENS with WARM MORELS & LENTILS
Reprinted with permission from Untamed Mushrooms: From Field to Table by Michael Karns, Dennis Becker and Lisa Golden Schroeder. Published by Minnesota Historical Society Press. mnhspress.org and untamedmushrooms.com
Serves 4
For the vinaigrette:
1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 medium lemon, zested and juiced
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
For the salad:
1 cup uncooked French lentils (Le Puy or small green lentils)
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup sliced small garlic scapes or 3–4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ pound (4 cups) fresh morel mushrooms, rinsed well and halved
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
6 cups mixed baby greens and watercress
1½ cups fresh sugar snap peas, some sliced and some left whole
¾ cup sliced fresh radishes
1⁄3 cup torn fresh tarragon leaves
garlic chive blossoms, if you have them
Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together until thick.
To cook the lentils, place them in a medium saucepan with 2½ cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook for about 25 minutes or until tender. Drain well; toss with a couple spoonfuls of vinaigrette.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the garlic scapes and mushrooms for 8 minutes or until tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Toss the greens with the peas and radishes. Arrange on 4 plates. Spoon lentils and mushroom mixture on top. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and sprinkle with the tarragon and chive blossoms.
Kitchen Notes:
Salad greens switch-ups celebrate whatever limey-green spring ingredients you find while out on the hunt for morels. The sugar snap peas can be left raw or you can toss them in with the mushrooms and garlic scapes—keeping them crisp with the other greens in contrast to the tenderness of the lentils and mushrooms is nice.
This salad is a good template for playing with fledgling garden herbs: toss in a handful of whatever herbs with the other leafy greens. If you include herbal bursts of flavor in the heart of the salad you can keep the dressing really simple: a few good shakes of red wine vinegar and your best olive oil is all you need.