Mad about morels? Head for the woods!

If our harvest is tiny, we carefully sauté the morels in olive oil and serve them on thin slices of toasted baguette. For larger harvests, we make a sauce for pasta or chicken. I prefer simple preparations with only a hint of herbs (or none at all), so the morel's earthy flavor is not drowned out.

Their nutty, seductive flavor makes them an excellent addition to a special sauce. Fried in an egg batter to crusty perfection – as country cooks do – they are the most tasty morsels one can bite into.

After a day in the woods and an evening of hearty eating and mushroom talk, we go to bed with visions of morels.

At about $20 to $25 per pound, wild morels are quite pricey. To keep costs down, you might wish to use a combination of morels and white-button mushrooms in this sauce.

In a pinch, dried morels could be substituted, but their flavor is much less intense, so most morel enthusiasts don't recommend them.

4 cups water

1/2 pound fresh morel mushrooms

1 pound fettuccine

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup shallots, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 cup whipping cream

4 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Bring water to boil in small heavy saucepan; add mushrooms. Remove pan from heat. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 15 minutes. Drain mushrooms, reserving soaking liquid.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm. Drain pasta.

Heat oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes. Pour in mushroom liquid, leaving any sediment behind. Add mushrooms, cream, and sage. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 7 minutes. Add pasta and toss to coat with sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to plates, sprinkle with fresh Parmesan, if you wish, and serve.

Serves 4.

Morels are distinctive, but an inexperienced hunter could be confused by the false morel that is sometimes poisonous. A true morel is hollow, with pits and ridges. False morels have a spiraling texture of lobes, flaps, or wrinkles. The bottom edge of the false morel's cap extends free around the stem like a skirt. On the true morel, the bottom edge is attached to the stem. Morels must be cooked before eating. Raw morels can be toxic.

For your first "moreling" adventure, hunt with an experienced person. Sometimes trips are offered by local park districts, universities, or state conservation departments. To find mushroom enthusiasts in your area, check out club listings on the North American Mycological Association website (www. namyco.org). For further information on morels in your locality, contact your state conservation department.

Check with state or federal authorities before heading out to public land. Some parks and wildlife areas restrict collecting.

Wear long pants, long sleeves, and a hat to protect against ticks and brambles. Sturdy walking shoes are also necessary.

When picking a morel, pinch it off at the base of the stem. Do not pull it out of the ground; you could disturb the mycelium that guarantees growth of morels in subsequent years.

Collect morels in a mesh bag, so spores can drop out as you walk. Speculation is that the morel may be declining because use of paper or plastic bags has not allowed this "reseeding."

Don't put any fungus you are uncertain of in your bag with other morels. If you want to have an unknown mushroom identified by an authority, pick it with a paper towel and keep it separate from morels.

Morels deteriorate rapidly if not stored in a cool, dry place after being picked. Do not put them in your car trunk. Carry a small cooler with ice if you are going to leave your harvested morels in the car.

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