Saturday, January 24, 2009

Truffles on Steroids

Leucangium brunneum the Oregon brown truffle

Look what Maggie the WONDER Dog found for me today! We only had one little training session in my living room playing hide and seek with a film canister with some Leucangium carthusianum (Oregon black truffle) inside and she did pretty well finding it hidden in the couch, behind pillows, on the book shelf etc.

So, today we took to the woods and I said "where's the truffle Maggie" "get the truffle" and within a minute she was sniffing a spot not far from where we walked in, right up to the stem of a fern and right there was a black truffle. A few minutes later she was stopped at another spot sniffing so I uncovered the spot where she sniffed and WOW look at this honker!


Leucangium brunneum

We then did some walking and I just kept my eye on her and a few minutes later she was sniffing right up against a tree so I went over to it and this is what I found poking up out of the ground!!


This one is even bigger than the first one!

This one is a bit critter eaten but they are both firm and RIPE! I have no idea what to do with them. If any of you readers out there have any experience with Oregon brown truffles, what would you suggest I make with them?

They have an entirely different aroma from white or black truffles and are quite strong smelling. Kind of a combination of broccoli cheese soup and garlic..with some cauliflower thrown in.



Good girl, Maggie, you get a BIG treat!

4 comments:

drfugawe said...

Wow! Think I might have had a heart attack on the spot! Great work, girls - Wouldn't you use it just as any other truffle? What did you finally do?

ladyflyfsh said...

Doc, this truffle doesn't smell at all like any other truffle I've ever seen (or smelled). It has a very strong aroma of cauliflower/broccoli and garlic and frankly I'm almost afraid to taste it! I'm probably going to take them to the truffle festival on Sunday to the marketplace.

Langdon Cook said...

So what did you cook? I like truffles on pasta or risotto myself. Those browns are impressive. Might have to get me a truffle dog!

Spyrit said...

that is soooo amazing and inspiring.. i've only found a few whites.. i found trumpets and the hogs.. but to have the puppy help yes yes yes..