Summer Vegetable & Morel Saute
Fresh and crisp, this simple saute has rich full flavor (thanks to wild morels and quality balsamic vinegar) balanced with lighter bell peppers and zucchini. You can serve it as a side dish by itself, or use it as a topping for rice or pasta. And, if fresh morels are in season, they are a great substitute for dried.
Ingredients: (4 servings when served over rice or pasta, 6 as a side)
1 ½ oz of Dried Morel Mushrooms, reconstituted & chopped
3 medium Bell Peppers
3 small Zucchini
4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp minced Shallot
1 small clove of Garlic, minced
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
¼ tsp Sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Roast the Peppers: Place a pepper directly onto a gas burner, with the heat set to about medium1. Use tongs to turn the pepper as the skin blackens. Once the pepper has completely blackened, immediately transfer it to a small bowl covered with plastic wrap. The wrap will hold the pepper’s steam in. Repeat with the other two peppers.
2. Once each pepper has steamed enough to loosen the skin (about 10 minutes), remove it from the bowl. Scrub it with a cloth or your fingers (wear gloves if you have sensitive skin) under cool running water until most of the skin has come off. Remove the peppers’ stems, inner ribs & seeds, then cut into 2” matchsticks.
3. Wash and trim zucchini, cut into them into matchstick slices and sprinkle with salt in a colander. Let sit for 4 minutes, then strain.
4. Sauté the shallot in olive oil until browned.
5. Add the reconstituted morels and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the peppers, zucchini and garlic and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
6. Add the vinegar and sugar to the pan, stir, and continue cooking for 2 more minutes.
7. Serve
1 If you don’t have a gas stove, here’s a less effective (but still pretty good) oven method: slice the top and bottom off of each pepper, then make a slit down the side to open them up. Unroll them so that they become large strips, and remove the ribs and seeds. Once they can be flattened, lay them out on parchment paper, skin side up, and broil them until most of the skin is blackened. Then continue with the steaming as described above.
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