Wednesday, May 26, 2010

A day in the mountains with Morchella Deliciosa


The precious mushroom is this one. I don't remember when was the last time I ate one, and fresh! Possibly 20 years???? In NZ I can find some super expensive dried ones from the French deli shops, but I never buy them. I prefer dried porcini mushrooms. And then, last Saturday, our friend Martina invited us to her place in the mountains, in the Adamello Natural Park.









I like the sea, the lakes, the countryside, the cities and the hills, but most of all I love the mountains. At heart I will always remain a mountain person, and for me no food beats the mountain food, especially if you forage it!




Well, foraging with a little bit of cheating this time! These were in Martina's garden, growing naturally under some trees. She left them there for us to find....



Ohhhh, I love mushrooms, and the Spugnola (the Italian name for morchella) is one of the best!!! Martina just cleaned them and cut them and cooked them in a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil, a little salt, and a little parsley.


No garlic, we didn't have any, but sometimes it is better to feel the pure taste of the morchella!



She served it with spelt spaghetti. Only those few mushrooms gave enough flavour to 5 plates of pasta, and what a flavour!!! I am still thinking about it!!!


And to wash it all down, a nice Wine from Franciacorta. What a great day in the mountains, thank you Martina!

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini©

11 comments:

  1. Thanks for visiting my blog dear and happy to hear trying to cook Indian recipes first time all new cuisines bit difficult dear then it will get use of it..I like all the pics from countryside dear nice scenic location n pasta recipe with mushroom looks great.

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  2. Thank you Sathya, I am still not so confident with the spices and it is difficult to find all the right ingredients where I am now (easier in New Zealand than Italy!).
    But I love Indian food!

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  3. Fabolous!Il fungo non lo conoscevo ma il vino sì!;)

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  4. What a lovely, peaceful post. Today's photos are wonderful and the mushrooms sound delicious. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  5. Mushrooms! Love them too, and I miss the Japanese ones, yours look superlative too. Going to Milan just for one night on Saturday - gelato, here I come!

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  6. what a lovely place and a lovely blog. i have the same blue gentian flower in a pot in my garden.
    http://greenismyvalley.blogspot.com/2009/05/blues-in-garden.html

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  7. Thank you for visiting B, lovely to have gentians in a pot in the garden!

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  8. Good looking mushroom! Never eaten anything like it!

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  9. Oh, morel ! You are so lucky to eat fresh ones...
    I have some strange and giant mushrooms growing in front of the deck here (because of the endless rain ?!). Not edible though...

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  10. What amazing mushrooms! I have been cooking with lots lately but non so glamourous as those!

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  11. How blessed is your friend to have these treasured mushrooms growing on her patch.

    I don't think I have ever eaten the morel mushroom. Oh how I envy you right now. However, I was fortunate to see some at the market when I was in Paris last year, but was not able to buy any as I was renting a room only. NO cooking facilities.

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