It’s treasure season. And by that, I mean that it is truffle season. These small, lumpy balls of fungi have entranced humans for decades. They are shockingly pungent and rather bizarre, but with some unnameable quality that always pulls me in for more. 

There are a lot of hazelnut orchards in the Pacific Northwest, dotting ancient homesteads and more modern agricultural plots. This is because hazelnuts are a great product to sell, yes, but also because certain kinds of truffles have a symbiotic relationship with the roots of hazelnut trees. A landowner can purchase special truffle-innoculated trees to plant, then patiently wait for about twenty years to see if their investment paid off. If it did, there is a far more valuable gem to be found than a hazelnut. 

If truffles are the gold nuggets hidden just beneath the soil, the frost-sweetened root vegetables of winter are the gems to adorn them. This time of year is full of rooty offerings, from garnet beetroots to amethyst carrots, opal shallots and pearly parsnips. Since the intense flavors of truffles play well with starches, a root vegetable medely is a no-brainer. Add the subtle sweetness of caramelized sugar, the tang of goat cheese, and golden flakes of puff pastry to the equation and you’ve got a winner. And don’t forget the hazelnuts, a nod to the symbiosis between truffles and roots, a reminder of a perfect collaboration (and a delightful source of crunch.) 

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Magic Always,
Miss Wondersmith

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