Who let the dogs out?

Yesterday, Alice, her friend Milly and I, visited the Good family's trufferie near Millthorpe. It was the first day of their truffle season, and I think speak for all three of us when I say it was the coldest we have ever been.

Wind blew sheets of drizzle in every direction and the temperature was a numbing two degrees but, it was to the girls' credit that they joined us on the hunt without (much) complaint. It might have been the hot chocolates Loretto made us drink in their cosy cottage before we set out and/or the excitement of what was to come, but either way, the cold became bearable as soon as the hunt began. We ran behind the dogs, sniffing the dirt they scratched up and helping Greg mark the spot with paddle pop sticks which would alert Loretto and her mother to a possible find.

As their name suggests, the Good's are really good people. Generous and switched on, they produce up to 10kgs of truffles every July from their 2000 trees.

Most of these go to Sydney restaurants while Orange locals can source them by request from Slice of Orange. We were very lucky to take the day's first truffle home, and on Loretto's suggestion I put it straight into a jar of eggs and then stored these in the fridge. The truffle will infuse the eggs with it's aroma and in a day or two provide us with a beautifully scented omelette. The Good's also suggested I keep it very simple when matching my truffle to food. Shaved over creamy mashed potato is Greg's favourite while Loretto likes hers over scrambled eggs.

We are to have ours for supper tonight shaved into salted, softened butter then spread on toast fingers and dipped into eggs. The leftover truffle butter has been wrapped up in baking paper and will be given to a friend.

Truffle butter soldiers with boiled eggs

40g salted butter, softened (the nicest you can get)
1/2 a fresh black truffle (about the size of a marble)
A loaf of beautiful white bread
eggs, one per person

Boil eggs for five minutes each (or to your liking). Meanwhile, slice bread into thick pieces and toast until golden. Using a microplane grater or similar, grate the truffle into the softened butter and very gently mix together. Spread the butter on hot toast fingers and eat immediately. Oh yum.