It might have snowed this weekend, but today at the Ballard Farmers Market, I found the definitive sign of spring: morels! These ugly little bites of pure mouthwatering goodness from Foraged and Found might possibly turn into one of my favorite dishes ever.

I've been watching the Foraged and Found booth for a month hoping to see morels and today I was finally rewarded. They aren't cheap. Currently they are selling for $30/pound. Later in the season you'll probably be able to find them for under $20/pound at Foraged and Found and possibly a bit cheaper down at Pike Place Market (I've heard stories of morels for $14/pound last year, though I cannot confirm this).

Mushrooms are one of those foods that I never thought I'd eat. My parents used to cook them often when I was growing up, sauteeing standard whitecap mushrooms in some butter and serving them as a side to steak. Now, my husband and I are both mushroom fans. As he put it the other day, "I realized I turned a corner when I looked at a recipe that called for mushrooms and wondered 'what kind?' I'm not sure how I feel about that."

There may be a handful of ways to prepare morels, but my favorite way comes courtesy of Orangette (one of my favorite local food bloggers). This recipe not only leaves me practically moaning with delight at every bite, but also taking bits of bread and using it to absorb every last bit of mushroomy goodness from the bowl, plate, and even the skillet.

Sauteed Morels with Heavy Cream
Serves 2 (or 1 if you're incredibly lucky and no one else in the house likes morels)

• 1/4 pound morel mushrooms
• 1-2 Tablespoons butter (from Golden Glen Creamery)
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons heavy cream or creme fraiche (found locally at Sea Breeze Farms)
• Salt
• 2-4 slices of toasted crusty bread (Tall Grass Bakery's Baker Street Sourdough)

1. Brush the morels lightly to remove any dirt or debris and cut them into bite sized pieces.
   
2. In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the morels and saute until the morels start to release some of their water. This may take anywhere from 1-3 minutes.
   
3. Add some salt to the pan. This will help the morels release even more of their water.
   
4. Saute another 4-5 minutes. 
5. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of heavy cream to the pan and immediately turn off the heat. Stir until the cream is fully incorporated.
   
6. Spoon the morels over your bread slices. Take every bit of the creamy, buttery liquid in the pan and pour it over the bread slices.
   
7. Swoon and eat.
   

Patricia's Notes: This is not a healthy dish. Even though I try to watch what I eat, this is one of the few recipes that makes me throw all cares of fat and calories right out the window. Given how expensive morels are, I limit myself to making this once per week for just about the entire morel season. It is certainly worth a couple of extra miles on the treadmill. You can cook the morels a little less if you like a thicker texture or a little longer if you like your morels thinner and almost caramelized.

The picture here shows $6.75 worth of morels and served two.