West Virginia’s Teeming With Wild Game, Leeks And Morels

Wild turkey and bear, ramps, morels and moonshine; West Virginia offers some surprising treats.

The state is overshadowed by the looming bulk of the Allegheny and Appalachian mountains, with thin soil and not much visible to eat.

But look again. During the two months each year I spend giving classes at The Greenbrier resort, I’ve found hidden treasures for the adventurous eater.

The backwoods teem with game, and hunters. The season extends all year, with a three-month hiatus in the summer (time in the old days to get in the crops).

September starts with dove season. Then comes deer hunting with bow and arrow, running until January, with guns allowed for a few hectic weeks in November.

Folks like to make jerky out of venison, rubbing it with spices. Each family has its own mix. In the old days, the meat was left to dry in the brisk mountain air of spring or fall, although most people today use a dehydrator.

November also brings wild turkey, wily birds with keen eyesight and hearing. To outwit them, you must stalk the woods for signs, then rise at 4 a.m. to settle in a hide before first light.

Best of all is a spring boggler (the male bird); it doesn’t eat during the mating season, but stores “jelly” or fat on its breast, making it excellent eating. Even so, wild turkey meat is dark and pungent, and one old custom calls for soaking the bird for 12 hours in brine before pot roasting or cooking it in a paper bag to keep it moist.

Early spring also brings ramps, wild leeks that are even more pungent than garlic. The best are dug underground, still bleached white, and they may be fried to serve with sausage or ham, or added to brown beans or corn bread.

Chewing a raw ramp is a macho challenge, along the lines of chewing fresh chile peppers in Texas. The breath turns so rank that, rumor has it, a West Virginian child can earn three days off school.

Fired with enthusiasm, I once planted some ramps in our garden in Burgundy. They grow abundantly - so rampant, in fact, that we can’t get rid of them.

Then there are wild morels, and it’s a great day when the first spring basket is delivered at the back door of The Greenbrier kitchen.

Morels are almost as elusive as the wild turkey and the season is short, a month at most. They hide at the foot of oak, elm and ash trees, their pointed brown caps - the darker the better - scarcely showing against the earth.

Morels are pitted with crevices, and tend to be full of sand. Whether fresh or dried, they must be thoroughly soaked to clean them.

The hunting year closes in June, but anyone with extra leisure time can always go fishing.

One of the best fish I remember was a rainbow trout from the Greenbrier river, caught that morning and pan-fried in bacon fat with a coating of cornmeal. I have yet to hear of anyone willing to part with the crayfish which proliferate along the river banks; with their nippy claws, they are the devil to handle and everyone keeps his catch.

Summer is the time for bring-a-dish church socials, for iced tea, dandelion wine, beer, whiskey and moonshine. Powerful stuff; one time a fellow spilled some on the door of his car. The following morning, the paint was stripped to the metal.

Morel Mushroom Pie

I found this recipe for button mushroom pie in “Mountain Measures,” a book compiled by the Junior League of Charleston, W. Va. With the addition of a few fresh or dried morels, the pie becomes a delicacy.

Prepared pie dough (made with butter) for 10-inch single-crust pie

1/4 pound fresh morels or 1 ounce dried

1/4 cup unsalted butter

3/4 pound button mushrooms, quartered

Salt, pepper

2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

1/2 cup whipping cream

Prepare pie dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill.

Meanwhile, pick over and trim stems of fresh morels. Soak them 10 to 15 minutes in bowl of water, stirring occasionally. Lift them out of water, leaving sand behind, and drain them. If using dried morels, pour 2 cups warm water over them in bowl and leave to soak 10 to 15 minutes. Lift out morels. Strain liquid through coffee filter to remove sand and reserve liquid. Slice fresh or dried morels.

Melt butter in medium skillet. Add button and morel mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. If using dried morels, add liquid. Simmer mushrooms until tender and all liquid has evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in eggs and cream. Adjust seasonings. Pour mixture into shallow 10-inch pie pan. Set side until cool.

Roll out pie dough and place over mushroom filling. Trim edge, decorate it and slash steam holes in crust. Bake pie at 375 degrees until crust is brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm. (Pie can be baked up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated or frozen. Reheat it just before serving.)

Yield: 6 servings.

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