The Perennial Plate and Like Minded People and Morel Toasts

If you are interested in sustainable living, locavorism and just darn good cooking advice, I urge you to visit The Perennial Plate.

Daniel Klein, author and star of the site is spending a year in Minnesota, cooking, learning and foraging a culinary existence. And the best part? He is documenting his culinary journey for all of us to share. The most recent video he has posted has him foraging for and cooking morels. Watch, Learn, Eat.

Yum.




To view other episodes of The Perennial Plate, go to http://theperennialplate.com/

When it comes to food and where we get it I love finding like minded people. It is exciting to realize that there are more and more people in this country who are living responsibly with their food choices. And make no mistake about it, it is a choice! Choosing to purchase from farmer's markets and CSA's, buying from companies with community ties, planting a garden, shopping in season; all of these practices add up to healthy, natural, good for us and the planet living.

A fellow blogger and like minded eater is having a food giveaway, Robynn at Robynn's Ravings. Click on over to participate and you could be the lucky reciprient of some yummy wholesome food items.


Morel Toasts: Serves 1 (okay, it's really enough for four people, but once you start eating morels you get a little greedy)

1/2 pound fresh, local morels
4 ounces goat cheese
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 french baguette
4 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
Sea Salt to taste (or other crunchy salt like Fleur de Sol)

Mix the fresh thyme into the goat cheese and set aside.

Gently brush morels (or any other type of mushroom you like) to remove any visible dirt.

Melt butter in a large enough saucepan so that you can add all the morels or mushrooms. You don't want to crowd them, each morel or shroom should have its own little space in the pan.

Add fungi and saute until all the liquid cooks off and they have some color on all sides - about 6 to 8 minutes.

Slice the baguette on the diagonal into wedges about 5 inches long and 1/2 inch thick. Toast gently, just to crisp, not to brown under the broiler. Flip and toast other side. Watch it - the bread will burn quickly if you are not careful.

Spread a healthy portion of goat cheese on each warm toast. Top with sauteed morels, then a pinch of crunchy salt. Serve.

Cake Bite Scooper Winner and Morels

Oh, I got so caught up with Birthday Week I forgot to announce the winner of the restaurant grade scooper - just perfect for making Cake Bites, the absolutely delicious, pop-one-in-your-mouth dessert that is sweeping the blogs.

Whitney Lee - From Somebody Else's Nose.

Whitney, email me your mailing address and I will get a scooper right out to you!

thegoodcooknj@comcast.net

I'm sure you will find many uses for this mini scooper. It makes the perfect size cookies, miniture cupcakes and of course cake bites!

Congratulations and enjoy!

Look, look, look! This is what I got yesterday from Carlo's Bakery (The Cake Boss) in Hoboken.

It's my birthday cake.

It was very hard to choose - look at the selection!

YUM!

And this is what I got today fresh from Oregon Mushrooms:

Double Yum! Morels.

Guess what we're having for dinner tonight?

The Perfect Morel:

1/2 pound of fresh morels

4 ounces fresh, cold, unsalted butter

Very gently wash each morel just prior to cooking. Drain and dry on paper towels.

Melt butter on medium low in a heavy saute pan. When sizzling and slightly foamy, add morels. Saute quickly, shaking pan to coat each morel with butter. When morels are soft and have just a slight golden sheen to them, remove from pan. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and serve.

Perfection.

A Cook's Notes: I am saving the other half pound until the weekend. I will quick saute the morels, let cool, then stuff with goat cheese and run them under the broiler. I WILL get back on my diet eventually - right? RIGHT??