This month my food tribe is focusing on their favorite spring food or ingredient. I love so many foods associated with spring but my favorite is Morel mushrooms. I don't just love them for their flavor but for the whole experience associated with morels for me. Ever since I was a child my family would venture out into the spring forest and hunt for them, we would spend the day meandering through the forest in search of those beauties pocking up from the earth while the frogs sang their wonderful spring songs.
To this day I always take a few days around my birthday (April 22) to wonder through forests breathing in that wonderful spring air, soaking up the warm spring sun, losing myself in the sound of the spring peepers in search for morels. For me the whole experience with this little mushroom is pure peace and joy.
This is the dish I am going to make this year with my morels, I just love them with cream.
~Pork Loin Chops with Morels in a Thyme Cream Sauce~
4 6oz 1 inch thick boneless pork loin chops
salt
pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 pound fresh Morels, brushed clean of any dirt
2/3 cup white wine
1/2 cup cream
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
Season the chops with salt and pepper. Heat a good size fry pan, add oil, 1/2 the butter and chops. Cook chops for about 5 minutes. Turn chops and cook over medium low heat for about 8 minutes or until just done through (we like to eat our pork a little closer to medium so I cook them a little less then this) Remove chops and set aside, covered with foil to keep them warm.
Turn the heat under the pan up to medium high heat and add the wine the pan add the wine and cook it down a little. Add the rest of the butter and mushrooms, stir them around a little (about 3 mintes), reduce heat to medium low and then add the thyme and cream, stir a little more then place the chops back into the pan to cook with the sauce for another 2 or 3 munites and serve.
