If you love foraging, it’s time to head into the woods. Morels and fiddlehead ferns are two great finds to find in early May and early June. They’re featured in decadent recipes from local foraging expert Mason Wiechert.
Mason is a native of Illinois. He began coming to the area as a Boy Scout in 2001 and moved permanently in 2016. Mason hunts a variety of wild foods, but his primary focus is mushrooms. He learned to hunt for morels from his grandfather at a young age. Mason also hunts for oyster mushrooms, chanterelles, lion’s mane, black trumpet, matsutake and chaga. In addition to foraging, Mason enjoys fishing, hiking with his dog, carpentry, gardening and canning.
For morels, Mason says look for them in aspen groves, walking trails and deer paths. When you find one, take a step back and look in all directions for others. Walk the area carefully and note where you find them.
Morels usually grow in the same place every year. There are similar plants that are poisonous to morels and fiddleheads, so amateur collectors should not eat the plants they collect until they have had a professional examine them. Fiddlehead ferns are the edible shoots of the Ostrich fern. They are found in swamps, near running water, and in woodland areas with fertile soil.
If you don’t want to bother finding them yourself, you can also use your favorite store-bought mushrooms in place of the morels and shredded asparagus in place of the fiddleheads.
Mason says this recipe also works well with chanterelles, which are available from the end of July until October.
Thanks to Mason for sharing his recipes and expertise on wild edible plants.
