Morel Mushroom Crostinis

Usually we cook our morels in butter...lots and lots of butter.  This year, however, I was inspired by a friend to come up with something new - but not to worry, I still used a lot of butter!  The end result was fabulous, so if you happen to have any morels lying around (or other flavorful mushrooms would probably work as well), try this out for your next dinner.  It is especially tasty when served with a fresh green salad on the side.

You will need:
- 2-and-a-half cups of morel mushrooms, roughly chopped into 1-inch squares
- 2-3 shallots, chopped
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1-2 ounces Gorgonzola or Manchego cheese
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil, plus a bit more for the crostinis
- 1 french baguette
-  kosher salt

Stats:
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes 
Servings: 2 

What to do:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Cut the baguette into 1/2 inch rounds.  Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and top with a dusting of salt.  Pop in the oven for about 10 minutes.

Chop your mushrooms into approximately 1 inch squares.  Roughly chop the shallots and set aside.

(ha ha - notice my completely inappropriate knife!)

Whip out your skillet (I used a non-stick skillet, you could also use a cast iron skillet for a slightly deeper flavor).  Combine the olive oil and butter until the butter is fully melted.

 Add the shallots and cook for about 2 minutes until they are just starting to brown.

Add the thyme and cook for a minute more until fragrant.

Now add the mushrooms and start cooking!  First they will look like this...

After a couple of minutes they will release their juices and will look like this...

Some people like their mushrooms very juicy, if you are one of them, you can stop here.  I, however, prefer my morels cooked a bit more, until they look like this...

Yum!  Almost ready!!  Mushrooms fall into the fifth taste profile called umami - earthy, savory flavors.  Cheese also has umami, so I decided to add some!  I used Gorgonzola, which added a nice bite without being as overpowering as blue cheese, but I think that Manchego, a harder cheese, would complement the mushrooms as well.

Finally, top your crostinis off with your mushrooms and enjoy! 

An easy, fast, and yummy dinner...I only wish morel season came more than once a year.  Enjoy, and if you do, let me know how it goes!