November Links We're Loving - Truffle Edition
This month's "Links We're Loving" is centered on something that I've been following for a while now with hopeful interest. As farmers are slowly transitioning from tobacco crops, there is a quietly growing, new agricultural industry in North Carolina centered on one of the world's most prized gourmet treats, the truffle. Not to be outpaced by science, foragers are also finding wild truffles in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
So, grab your butter and your pasta and let's dive in!
- Why are American truffles so hard to grow in the first place? This article by Smithsonian Magazine covers the full details of this fascinating story.
- Rare wild truffles are now being foraged in the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains.
- North Carolina state University's Black Périgord (French) truffle studies are promising, too.
- Luxury hotel and resort Blackberry farm is getting in on the truffle business with it's own orchard and, best of all, these cute truffle-hunting Lagotto Romagnolo puppies.
- Interested in growing your own truffles? Consider taking a class from Garland Truffles in Hillsborough, NC.
- No space for an orchard, but you still want to forage for yourself? Try No Taste Like Home on your next Asheville vacation.
Do you need some inspiration after all this truffle-y goodness? These cookbooks offer crowd-pleasing recipes for the truffle cook in all of us.
Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child
The grand dame of bringing French food to the American mass market serves up numerous truffle-laden recipes in her classic tome on French cuisine.
Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten
It's been YEARS and some guests from a previous dinner party are still talking about her Tagliarelle and Truffle Butter recipe.
Tortellini at Midnight by Emiko Davies
A lovely cookbook featuring numerous recipes that would incorporate truffles very well, but my favorite recipe is her truffle-infused pasta, Tajarin al Tartufo.
Vegetable Harvest by Patricia Wells
Numerous recipes for how to incorporate truffles into dishes, sauces, and baked dishes. Rather than focusing on specific recipes, this cookbook teaches the reader how to best capture the flavor in a wider variety of applications.
