A simple but smart ingredient list: leeks, thyme, parsley, morels, fresh goat cheese, lemon.

Harbingers of spring: a heap of precious morels (they're not as easy to find as cultivated varieties like creminis and shiitakes -- we got ours at Eataly but check your local farmers market).

This came from Eataly too -- a stately ring of pane pugliese. We oohed and ahhed, then pretended to wear it as a hat.

It's a good idea to check for critters lurking in the crevices of morels. We determined a high likelihood of critter inhabitation, so we gave them a chance to swim out. Not drown, swim.

Prep time. Merrill cuts that pane pugliese into crostini and Amanda slices leeks (but doesn't wash them first -- you'll see why in a minute).

We went for about a 1/2" crostino to stand up to a healthy amount of goat cheese and morels.

We sliced our morels in half and no further, to make the most of their cool waffle-y texture. And look, no critters!

Pat them dry well. No one likes a soggy morel.

Is there any sight more beautifiul?

Merrill gleefully tips the well-dried morels into their buttery bath.

The morels will get crisp and brown, then fresh thyme joins the party.

Here's our favorite leek-washing technique: slice first, then load into a colander and swish them around in a big bowl of water to get the grit off. Then just lift out the colander!

Nice and clean.

Leeks, chopped parsley, and lemon juice are added in for the last couple minutes to perk the whole thing up.

Pretty, right?

Not surprisingly, we love a thick bed of goat cheese.

Goat cheese and mushroomy goodness: they play together so nicely.

For the mushrooms, you'll need: radishes, shallot, scallions, thyme, marjoram, fennel pollen, mushrooms, capers, pumpkin (or squash) seed oil, and white vinegar.  

Side by side again in the kitchen!  

Amanda neatly halves the scallions before cutting them into half moons.  

An onlooker. Eating pretzel chips!  

The recipe calls for a combination of cremini (or button) mushrooms and shiitakes.  

Anther solemn day in Brooklyn.  

Amanda starts on the marinade with some white wine vinegar.  

Radishes and capers add color and zip.  

The mushrooms hit a hot pan -- no oil yet, just a pinch of salt.  

We loved this technique and found a cast iron pan really did the trick.  

Amanda gives her grapeseed oil the sniff test.  

It failed, so we used canola.  

The mushrooms simmer in a pool of oil to finish cooking.  

The shallots go in during the last few minutes, just to soften.  

The marinade and the mushrooms unite!