The elusive Morel. And walking in the woods...

It is time.  I've always loved morels, but I never had much luck finding them.  I've hunted them, but never really found them.  Notice how the term "hunted" is used, instead of, say, "gathered" or "harvested".  These are elusive creatures to most.  I now appreciate all the bag-loads brought to my Dad every spring... 

But oh, have you had these lightly sauteed in butter and drizzled over, say, popovers or Yorkshire puddings, or sourdough eggy toast, or a big fat juicy RIBEYE? Or lightly bathed in tempura batter and deep-fried to golden, buttery perfection? Or nestled with some creamy, melting brie in a farm-egg fresh omelette of the utmost delicate technique?  Yeah.  You know what I'm talkin' bout.

So Sunday morning we load up the fam, and head to some "honey holes".  Strange, but the only fungi we spotted were these beauties, but their edibility lies firmly on the other side of "uhh-Iiiii don't think so".  

I have become more interested in our local availability, however.  Such as, I didn't know chanterelles and oyster mushrooms were found here in the hills!  http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/mushrooms/mushroom/edible.htm I always loved the idea of wild foraging.  Nothing tastes like a wild blackberry, or a sun-warmed wild strawberry.  I've heard that fiddleheads grow here but I'm pretty sure the shots I got today aren't the Appalachian delicacy, and someone once tried to show me how to eat a cattail.  And fell in a pond for their effort.  [snicker] 

Anyway, we may have to delve into this foraging stuff a bit deeper folks, it sounds more and more interesting to me!  Besides, the fam loves loading up and driving around.  I'll post the pics from our drive later today.  The rain storm darkened my shots a bit, but I'll edit some for your viewing pleasure. I'm just beginning to get the hang of this DSLR, so Photoshop is my new best bud.  I heart the hills!