Instructions: Cover morels with 1/2 cup hot water and set aside until softened, about 10 minutes. Trim tips and woody bases from asparagus. Reserve tips and discard ends. Slice remainder of asparagus very thin. When morels are softened, drain thoroughly, slice caps lengthwise and squeeze out any excess moisture.

Stir together eggs, morels, sliced asparagus and tips and butter in large mixing bowl.

Add eggs to large skillet and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring continuously, until butter melts. When butter has melted, reduce heat to medium-low. (If eggs start to set up on bottom before butter melts, reduce heat immediately.)

Continue cooking, stirring constantly and scraping set egg from bottom of pan. Cook until eggs have formed wet, shiny, fairly loose curds and you can see pan bottom. Remove from heat, add chives and season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue stirring off heat until eggs are set. Caution: Eggs will go from too wet to too dry extremely quickly. It is important that they remain creamy but still firmly set. Serve immediately.

Notes: "The combination of morels and asparagus is quintessentially spring-like to me-the first embodying the moist earth and the second the vigorous new growth. Its especially nice that they taste so good together.

This is absolutely one of my (Russ) favorite ways of combining them. Its important to squeeze all of the excess moisture out of the morels after soaking or the eggs may turn a very unappetizing shade of brown. Column: IN THE KITCHEN: "The Dignified Egg"

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