Spring is a wonderful time of the year because my favorite mushrooms are in season; morels and chanterelles. These types of mushrooms are highly acclaimed for their taste and rather delicate nature. Morels are more common and posses an earthy flavor. They are expensive due to the difficulty in locating and harvesting them. The majority of the morels are harvested in Washington and Oregon with limited availability from Great Lakes and eastern states.

While I enjoy morels, I have a deep fondness for chanterelles. When asked why, I would have to go back to my time cooking in France. When I worked outside of Strasbourg, we actually harvested the chanterelles out of the ground and served them that day. It was there that I learned to work with
the meatier taste and texture of a chanterelle as well as challenging myself to utilize their versatility.

Both of these mushrooms will be on the menu at Peterson’s while they are in season. If you are looking to buy them yourself, don’t be “sticker shocked”. When picking out Chanterelles they should be clean and dry to the touch.They should also smell fruity, like apricots. A simple preparation at home would be to sauté them with butter, shallots, and garlic. Even simpler, would be to visit us at Peterson’s and experience how I incorporate them into the menu.

Sonoma-Cutrer, 2003 Les Pierres, Chardonnay

This fine yellow gold wine has a perfect clarity. The structure is mineral, firm, balanced, elegant and focused. A wonderful array of aromas such as spice and floral lemon-lime combine with the familiar Les Pierre flinty mineral backbone. At first taste you will enjoy the signature green apple and lemon of this vineyard and then evolve to the dried lemon peel and freshnlime zest. The lemon extends through the long finish creating a great acidity.