My son Coby and i much enjoyed the first day of the morel foray, a Saturday. We didn't find a lot of morels but enough to keep us motivated for another look. The steep hill trekking had been a bit tough and i was pretty much exhausted that first afternoon. A cool shower refreshed me tho and i was ready for the next day.
Sunday morning, Coby and i had the opportunity to accompany our morelian leader George, his friend Smiley, the fine German Renate and a tall bespeckled fella for another hunt along some hilly property adjacent to Norris Lake. The hike started off with a "Yehaw!" while we were standing about our cars and preparing for the walk. I looked down and there sat a plump morel in the sunlight, as i bent down i saw another... and then another and the whole group jumped to it! I think we collected about 2, maybe even 3 dozen right then and there. Smiley said we looked like a bunch of chickens going at it! We all took it as a good sign and headed up the wide, steep hillside trail, cutting off here and there for a quick look at a nook, flat or cranny. Before long the group had fragmented and the shouting across ravines was getting indecipherable.
When i saw George waving us up from the top of a steep ridge i decided that i had had enough of that type of activity the previous day! I was already wearing out, getting hot and having a hard time smelling the flowers! I waved them on and looked over at Coby and said "Lets walk our own path". Instead of expending energy trying to keep up with the skilled turkey hunter's legs we started edging along the ridgeside stopping to feel the wind and smell the air. We rested as we moved, enjoyed the new spring growth and studied the trees above. I was already much more relaxed and focused. As we moved we would come across a lone morel here or there but the heat and crackling leaves were distinct and unsettling. I started twitching my nose for moisture and sought for the northern slopes of the hills and steep ravines.
We walked the gentle way that presented itself. Coby kept a couple ten yards off or so to one side and we entered a ravine that felt cool and the moisture was deep and rich. Mosses were still lush and a tortoise was pulling his shell along the forest floor. Almost immediately we found a couple morels, then three or so more and alerted our senses. I called out to Coby to thoroughly eye the immediate area he had just collected a recent morel from. We slowly eased along staying to the sheltered northern slope. I could see another morel ahead and then 3 more. I put down my pack. Another 5 maybe 6 more just off to my side. Coby called out " I've got 3... 4... I've got another one!" I started looking about carefully from my kneeling position. A cluster of 3, 4 and then 5 were scattered about here and there and then again just beyond a fallen log. I looked up and two massive dead trees stretched overhead. I could smell the deepness, the morels. A major fruiting was about and they were in prime condition.
I opened my swiss army knife and began to carefully cut away the earth and glean the leaf litter from their stems and bodies. I began to count as i put the fresh morels in the mesh bag. Coby was still calling out... " I found another one Dad"! By the time i arose from the earth and collected my gear i had counted another 54 big golden morels and placed into the bag. After thoroughly checking the immediate area i went to where Coby had been calling from. A full paper bag and a big smile greeted me. I looked up and again stretched overhead was another stand of large, dead unknown hardwood. We thanked God for the blessings of the day and meandered back down to the van. I opened up Coby's bag and cleaned and counted 27 or so more morels. I felt like we had established some kind of Tennessee record, certainly at least for ourselves! I had never seen so many in one little area. I reckon that for the entire weekend, we collected well over 125 of these incredible edible fungi.
I placed them in an iced cooler for the long, meandering journey home. Unfortunately the ziplock bag that had held the ice, leaked and some of the morels on the bottom were soggy. Disappointed i laid them out on newspaper and later that night placed them on a couple mesh screens suspended above the kitchen table. I turned the ceiling fan on medium and by the morning the whole house smelled like an Elfin Mushroom Forest Factory! ...but they were all drying nicely, shrinking to maybe a third or even fourth of their original size. They stayed under the fan for another day and I then trimmed and cleaned them once more and ziplock bagged the lot for the refrigerator. We are still eating from this bag! To prepare the morels i cut them apart with heavy duty kitchen scissors and rehydrate them by soaking the pieces in a bowl of warmed whole milk. After they are plump i dump the bowl into a buttered up cast iron skillet. Oh boy are they good!
I especially want to thank George for getting us in the right area and creating the opportunity for the exciting time Coby and i had! We are looking forward to next year and any new recipes! That is such a nice park i hope to bring the whole family and stay in one of the nice cabins.
Thanks a lot George and also to Earl and Susan for reminding me to attend!
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