Serves: 6

• Ingredients

1 pound white asparagus, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 pound green asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots (2 large)
1/4 pound fresh morels, cleaned and halved lengthwise if large
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Garnish: chopped fresh tarragon

• preparation

Cook white and green asparagus separately in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until just tender, about 5 minutes for white asparagus; about 3 minutes for green asparagus.
Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to a colander and rinse under cold water (to stop cooking), then drain again. Pat dry.
Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté shallots, stirring, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add morels and sauté, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus, tarragon, salt, pepper, and remaining 3 tablespoons butter and sauté, stirring, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Serves: 10

• Ingredients

2 1/2 cups boiling water
2 cups dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup dried morel mushrooms
2 cups fresh shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
5 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups bulgur, (coarse)
1 cup packed fresh flat leafed parsley, chopped

• preparation

In a bowl, pour boiling water over mushrooms, and soak 30 minutes or more. In a 4-quart saucepan, sauté onion in butter over moderate heat, stirring until softened.
Add broth and bring to a simmer. Stir in bulgur and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Remove porcini and morel mushrooms from water, squeezing out excess liquid, and reserve soaking liquid. Rinse mushrooms to remove any grit and coarsely chop.

Strain reserved liquid through a fine sieve or cheese cloth. In a large bowl toss together bulgur mixture, mushrooms (porcini, morels, shiitake), 1/2 cup strained soaking liquid, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Cool completely.

Serves: 4

• Ingredients

4 cups fiddleheads, trimmed and cleaned
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups fresh morels, cleaned
2 1/2 pounds lobster, steamed, meat cut into 1/2-inch pieces
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

• preparation

Blanch the fiddleheads in salted boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain. Heat the oil in a skillet
Sauté the morels for 2 minutes. Add the fiddleheads and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the lobster meat.
Mix and season with salt and pepper.

Serves: 4

A version of risotto made with orzo

• Ingredients

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
8 oz. hen of the woods, chanterelle, or morel mushrooms, cleaned and halved if large
1/2 cup minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1¾ cups (12 oz.) orzo
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup cream
½ cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

• preparation

Heat chicken stock in a small saucepan over medium heat; set aside and keep warm. Heat butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add mushrooms and cook until golden, 5–7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to a bowl; set aside. Add shallots and garlic to saucepan; cook, stirring, until soft, 3 minutes.
Add orzo, thyme, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes. Add reserved stock ¼ cup at a time, cooking until each addition is absorbed before adding next amount. Cook, stirring often, until liquid has all been used and orzo is tender, about 25-30 minutes. Add cream and cook, stirring, until liquid is creamy, about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in reserved mushrooms, Parmesan, salt, and pepper; serve with additional Parmesan on the side.