Zach Brock, a phenomenally talented jazz violinist and composer, was one of the most recent participants in Serenbe’s Artists in Residence (AIR) program. At his welcome reception, he and I got on the topic of hikes; the Kentucky native doesn’t get to do a lot of those in his current Brooklyn home.

So I invited him to go foraging with me. I needed some chanterelles for an Italian dinner I was doing with chef Chris Hastings, and a friend of mine lets me forage for them on her magical piece of property here in the Chattahoochee Hill Country.

Zach had never foraged in his life, but he picked up on it quickly. All you need is a small paring knife, a basket and some common sense. It’s important to know what you’re foraging for because eating the wrong mushroom is a mistake you don’t get to make twice.

Chanterelles are my third favorite mushrooms, right behind fresh porcini from Italy and morels. They’re trumpet-like, golden in color and always found on the forest floor. Once you find them, slice them off—never pull a wild mushroom because you can kill the root.

Though Zach didn’t get to taste the pasta he helped me create, he left Serenbe with a wonderful taste in his mouth. He stayed for two weeks, during which he performed a concert with surprise guest Freddy Cole, Nat King Cole’s brother.

At the AIR board dinner honoring Zach, he stood up and gave a small speech, though he normally doesn’t do public speaking. “I was immediately embraced by the Serenbe community,” he said. “As an artist, the appreciation is so nourishing. In my day-to-day life, I’ve questioned the relevancy of my work and it was so wonderful to be in a place where art is celebrated and valued.”

Those words were so delicious to me—so affirming of the community we work so hard to create at Serenbe. Like music, cooking isn’t about one chef or ingredient—it’s about many wonderful elements coming together to create something everyone can enjoy.

Tagliatelle with Chanterelles and Butter

This dish is decadent simplicity at its best. It only has a few ingredients, so it’s important for them to be the freshest and highest quality to honor the chanterelles. That includes the pasta—it makes all the difference.

Ingredients

• ¾ pound butter, high quality
• ½ cup shallots, minced
• 1 pound chanterelles, chopped
• Kosher salt
• 1 pound fresh tagliatelle

Melt the butter in a large sauté pan. Add shallots and sauté on low heat until golden. Add chanterelles and stir until coated with the butter. Place lid on pan and let steam for a few minutes. Remove top and stir. Season with salt. Toss with cooked pasta* and serve.

Pasta

In a large pot, bring water to a boil (2 gallons per 1 pound of pasta). Salt water until it tastes like the sea. When boiling, add the fresh pasta and stir into separate pieces. Depending on freshness, cooking time is 3-4 minutes. Save some cooking water and drain.

Place back in pot and stir in the chanterelles. Add a bit of the pasta water if needed for more liquid.

Note: If fresh pasta is not available, use a great quality dried one. A large, flat noodle is best with this mixture.