Morels and Truffles

Spring is all about momentary food indulgences, and Ingredients took advantage of an exceptionally rare item at its Morel and Truffle Wine-pairing Dinner on May 22. Morels start peeking out of the earth each spring when the weather gets warm and wet, usually in May around here. Their earthy flavor combines so well with the other fleeting flavors of spring. One such flavor is that of asparagus, which also made a welcome appearance at this dinner. The only thing missing from the meal was a basket of bread to sop up every last drop of mushroom goodness. Then again, if bread had been served, there would have been no way to make it through the whole dinner.
Jennifer Tome, of Grape Beginnings, arranged to pour wines with a local connection. Robert Hall, of Robert Hall Wineries in Paso Robles, Calif., once lived in Dellwood, Minn. It seemed his name was familiar to some of the dinner patrons, adding to the fun of drinking her selections. Perfectly caramelized Scallops floating on a creamy sea of Cauliflower Puree created the foundation for the first course. Dark Morels lay scattered across the plate and were bathed in a rich Summer Truffle Vinaigrette. The two mushrooms added a distinctly different flavor note to the scallop dish, thus highlighting the effects of the fungus on the other components. The 2005 Sauvignon Blanc Jenn paired with dish evoked memories of summer dinners at rooftop restaurants. It cleansed the palate and added a lemony kiss to the scallops.	Grilled Scallops, cauliflower puree and summer truffle vinaigrette
The second course was a fine example of French cuisine: Green Lentil and Salsify Hash with Wild Mushroom Flan and an Herb Balsamic Vinaigrette. A hint of thyme laced its way through the dish, and the vinaigrette’s tang perked up the flan before the creaminess could get cloying. The flan itself was like one of the ultimate comfort foods, cream of mushroom soup, done high-class. The paired strawberry red Rosé de Robles added even more tart flavors to balance the richness of the course.
The purity of the morel flavor shone the brightest in the Fricassee of Morel Mushrooms, Local Asparagus and Maine Lobster mounted with Pelugra Butter. True, anything bathed in rich, imported, high-fat-content butter will taste good, but it really was the best way to serve the morels. Interspersed among the mushrooms and lobster bits, and toothsome gnocchi were Technicolor green asparagus shoots. I think that was the freshest asparagus I have eaten in over a decade. To celebrate the butteriness of this dish, Jenn poured a 2005 Robert Hall Chardonnay. This, she said, was quite a treat, because this wine is usually only available at the winery and not distributed. But, since this dinner was happening so close to Dellwood, Jenn was able to get a few bottles. Full-bodied and rich, the wine did not have many of the typical grapefruit-like notes. Instead, it showcased its deeper flavors of honey and cream. By this point in the dinner, a lot of the patrons start asking, “how are we going to eat all this food?” Very happily, is the answer.	Fricassee of wild morel mushrooms, local asparagus and Maine lobster with gnocchi and Pelugra butter
The fourth course looked like it could have been a meal all on its own. Slices from a Whole Smoked and Roasted Beef Tenderloin, were laid across a raft of Fingerling Potatoes. A Morel-studded Bordelaise sauce ringed the plate. Chef Tony explained that the smoking process makes the meat look overcooked, but its tenderness is maintained. The beef could easily be cut with a butter knife, and had a hickory flavor that upped the course’s richness factor exponentially. For a wine, Jenn poured a Rhone de Robles, which is a play on Cotes du Rhone wine. Like its French counterpart, the Rhone de Robles was a full-bodied, silky red. For the finale, the menu said we were getting a “trio” of items, but really, it was a quartet, or maybe even a quintet if you consider each actual item separately. A Chai Tea Shooter, Caramel Apple “Risotto,” a crispy Puff Pastry and two Chocolate Truffles were set casually across the plate. The risotto consisted of diced apple in a warm caramel sauce – another ultimate comfort food. The truffles, which of course, are decadent in a completely other way from their mushroom counterpart, were cocoa enshrouded globules of pure, sweet, bliss. The chai, served with little sugar, was a palate cleanser all on its own.	Whole smoked and roasted beef tenderloin, fingerling potatoes and morel-studded bordelaise sauce, surrounded by glasses of Robert Hall Chardonnay and Rhone de Robles
To pair with these various tastes, we were served a Moscato D’Asti Vignaioli di S. Stefano, from Italy. Jenn had planned for us to have a Robert Hall Port, but the shipment didn’t come in, she explained. This Italian Moscato was a wonderful substitute, however. Its bouquet was that of a fresh Concord grape and its flavor was sweet, but did not clash with the sweet things on the plate. I left that dinner with happy memories of all the dishes, and they will sustain me through the next three seasons until next spring, when the rare morel mushrooms make their brief appearance again. Please join us 6:30 pm, Tuesday, June 26, for our next wine-pairing dinner.	Caramel apple "risotto," fried puff pastry, chocolate truffles and chai tea shooter