"Murckles"

What's slimy, brown, and looks like a gnome?







According to Appalacian lore, they're called 'murckles'(pronounced miracles in everyday English), because they show up on a mountain side every April, last for one day, but, once dried, last all year long. We know these beauties as Morel Mushrooms, the only culinary mushroom that completely re-constitues to its fresh form after being dried. Oh, and they're delicious and worth $30 a pound.
This morning Chris and I rose before dawn to visit a secret 'patch.' It was prime mushroom hunting weather- cold, windy and misty- just like home! After about 2 hours of stooped walking up wooded hills, we had wet heads and almost three pounds of fresh black Morels.
Later, after lunch, Chris made contact with the Blackberry Farms resort, a shwanky place in the Smokeys. The head chef wants 5 pounds of our foraged Morels a week... that's $150 extra Farm Income as often as we can find them!


Stay tuned for the first installation of Chicken of the Week!