Morel Media Luncheon

If you've been following the blog this past month, you've seen that we had a fun time on a media trip to Galena to visit Eagle Ridge Resort. For the past four years, they have invited some food and travel writers and bloggers out on a hunt in the woods for morel mushrooms. On day one, the visitors are treated to a magnificent morel-themed dinner. Then before departing the following day, there's another fabulous meal prepared by the talented chefs there.

We started with a delicious morel bruschetta that was so fresh and appetizing.

Next up was Clear Plank Lake Trout ~ a smoked trout with smoked morels, fried capers and pickled red onions. This was probably my favorite item in the meal. I adore capers and the fried version along with the smoked salmon was a winning combo!

Next course was a morel cream soup with a splash of brandy and topped with a fried morel. It was so rich and creamy and the fried morel was a perfect touch.

Following the soup was probably one of the most colorful salads ever - the Duo Salad featured an amazing crab/potato salad with creamer potatoes, spring asparagus, farmer's eggs, hot house cucumbers, roasted peppers and Spanish red onions along with a beautiful mix of endive, shaved rainbow carrots, morel, matchstick squash and a morel raspberry champagne vinaigrette - a lot of flavors going on there that worked magnificently together.

Somehow...after all of these amazing courses, we kept going. Our chefs prepped our tenderloin beside our table and prepared a lovely dish of manned tenderloin beef stroganoff with sautéed tenderloin of beef, caramelized leeks, boursin cheese, demi and cream over mushroom risotto.

Dessert was almost too beautiful too eat - a duo of chocolate crepe mille tart frangellico cream with ganache and creme brûlée with powder sugar dusted morels. It's amazing how the chefs even incorporated morels into dessert in a subtle way that made this one of the best desserts I've had in a while. Kudos to the chefs at Eagle Ridge Resort for another amazing morel meal!