I have been so good...
No, really...
Grain salads, lentils and brown rice, vegetable melanges... Not that any of those things are a penance to eat, but they are not "splurge" foods. This morning I was up bright and early to hit the Boise Farmers Market. Actually, there appear to be two markets at war with each other. One is a real farmers market, while the other seems to an artsy-craftsy street-fair kind of thing. So, obviously, I spent a lot more time at the real one!
And I found beautiful produce! A bit pricey, but beautiful...
And then I saw it... A mushroom stand with the tastiest of all fungi... at least to me... fresh morels!
Now, Dear Reader, I was feeling the need for a splurge as previously noted, and morels are only splurge food in my books. The cost is prohibitive... and the only way to cook them in my mind is to simmer them in heavy cream...
So this is not something your wallet or your waist can often stand.
But I was prepared to empty my wallet and then, I saw the price! These were perfect locally grown morels... for $16 a pound! Compared to the usual prices, which can easily run to DOUBLE that during their oh-too-brief season... they became even more irresistible than they generally are.
I filled a small paper bag with these beauties... already salivating at the thought of simmering them in cream and generously saucing some pasta... and handed them to the guy behind the table to weigh. He handed them back to me and said, "That'll be $4.50..." No, not $450...
I had enough in that bag to feed a small army... but since this is a major splurge... I think I'll be my own army...
And if you don't hear from me for a while, blame the cream-and-mushroom-induced coma I'll no doubt be in!