Hobart how I’ve missed you so

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Tasmania.

I’ve said it once, I’ve said it twice… actually I might have said it three or four times already. Fifth time?

Tasmania, I love you a lot!

This trip was just a quick one. A conference for me and the baby girl. Hitting the town for Mr Chocolate and The Monkeys.

From the conference, I came away inspired by a wonderful bunch of strong and beautiful women. Seeds have been planted and now I just need to tend to them and hopefully watch them grow.

I also came back with some delicious goodies to be played with. Fudge and walnuts from the farmers markets. Some lovely locally grown spelt, which I’m excited to being playing with. And… a truffle. The smallest truffle in the glass jar. After walking very, very fast (before it closed) to get to the little shop under the stairs where I had first smelt them last year, I got one. Seven grams of black fungus, that I’m still trying to work out exactly what it smells like. Earth, death, and sex they say. It’s a smell that I have trouble likening it to anything else I’ve ever smelt.

So what shall I cook it with?

I’m thinking a truffle sourdough, and perhaps a few truffled eggs to go with it. I’m a little unsure of how to go about the bread though. Shave it, grate it, when to put it in? Would the flavours be lost?

Planning what to do with it though, that’s half the fun isn’t it?

*******

If you have any wonderful truffle ideas, please tell.

37 thoughts on “Hobart how I’ve missed you so”

  1. Use the truffle soon, Brydie! I had a baby one from Tassie as well last year, and tried to drag it out, but the flavour disappeared after a week or so. Recently at the markets, the truffle growers told me it had to be used within a week – even sooner for the little ones – to get maximum flavour from it! I’d suggest grating it over scrambled eggs – just perfect!

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  3. I do love old Hobart town. I have very fond memories of swinging from a hammock on my friend’s little yacht he lived on at Constitution Dock while the world walked past. Beautiful photos. I await your truffling experiments with interest!

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  6. Haven’t visited Tasmania yet but definitely have to get there if there is good fudge! I’m looking forward to see what you do with the spelt – do you grind your flour? And hoping that you will post about the chickpea bread you made for Celia.

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    • I don’t usually grind my flour. I have done before with rye grains which worked really well though. For the spelt, I’m not sure yet how I’ll use it. Grind or apparently it can be cooked up as you would pearl barley.
      As for the chickpea bread, I’ll definitely post about it. I have to make it one more time and then I’ll put something up.

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  7. Beautiful pictures. I love your posts. How are you storing your delicate little truffle? I’ve kept one in rice, that made for magnificant risotto afterwards. I’ve also heard of the french keeping a truffle in tins with eggs (that absorb the truffle through the porous shell) to make truffle omlettes and such with. I’m sure what ever you make with it will be truly wonderful

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    • Thank you Natasha, that’s really kind.
      The delicate little fellow is in a glass jar wrapped in tissue paper, stored with a few eggs and in the fridge. Although his hours are numbered… I think today is the day 🙂

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  8. What a great time you must have had in Tasmania. I’m ashamed to say I have never actually been there but I’d really love to visit the Apple Isle. I’ve never seen spelt like that before and I’ll look forward to seeing what you cook with it. xx

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  9. I did some work experience in a kitchen once many years ago. One of my jobs was to look after the truffles and every day I took them out of the jar unwrapped them all and than rapped the again in fresh kitchen towell and put the back in the jar.

    Might seem like overkill but I wouldn’t want your truffle going off while you decided what to do with it!

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    • No, you are right Richard. That’s just what I’ve been doing. Tenderly unwrapping and rewrapping in tissue everyday.

      (oh and guess what! There is an awfully big Swedish mixer on it’s way, which I’m ridiculously excited about.)

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  10. Ooo, what a lucky girl – I am lucky enough to live in an area where one can find black and white truffles in the forest, but I’ve not yet found any – problem is that truffle season is in the dead of winter, when the weather is most horrible, and there is no other mushrooms to be found – and then there’s the problem of finding them – !!!

    I would not use in a dish that cooked them – for fear of losing some of the delicate flavor – be thinking of shaving or grating them over things already done cooking such as simple pasta preparations, or over a cooked risotto, or crepes with shrimp or crab – or a simple cheese omelet.

    Just have fun with them – and remember them forever.

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    • Doc, your comment was the clincher for me. Eggs it will be and today is the day… I hope I do it justice.
      I didn’t know you can get white truffles as well? I just looked them up, and they are also called Alba Madonna in Italian, and how lovely does that sound.

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  11. You were here? Right here in my little town with your little lady and I missed you. Glad you had a great time. You’ll be back again, yes?. Please please pop over next time if you have any spare time. Would be so nice to meet you in person 😀

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  12. Brydie, you are a gardener at heart and mind so whatever seeds have been sown I look forward to their fruition!
    I love the pictures of the ship, sky and sea- makes my heart yearn for travel and adventure.
    And – the spelt , walnuts, fudge and truffle are magnificent booty to be carrying home with you! I like the idea of the truffle in risotto or eggs. And am quite pleased to hear the smell described- as earth- death- and sex- kind of fits the human experience there, now doesn’t it?

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  15. Tassie is so lovely I wish I lived there. Peter and I did the cradle mountain walk almost two years ago and I remember doing an impromptu pole dance in the middle of beautiful forest whilst trying to stop myself face planting in Tassie mud! Did you find Matthew Evans shop?

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    • I did Jan, that’s where I got the truffle from. I really like the tiny shop as it has so many of Tassie’s gorgeous local foods in it… and it all looks pretty.
      Cradle Mountain is stunning isn’t it. I’d love to go back to that part of the island one day. Beautiful. It would have been worth the face plant!

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  17. That top photo’s a stunner, Brydie! Really gorgeous! So happy to hear of your good trip to Tasmania. May it grow and grow in you! As for truffles, I have no idea how to incorporate them in bread, but I’m sure anxious to hear how you figure it out. It sounds pretty close to divine! xo

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  18. Oh Brydie, your post made me recall a fully booked and organised trip to go truffle hunting in Alba, Italy, a few years back. The rest of my friends went and I couldn’t as my passport was awaiting visa processing in the UK. In any case I was the lucky recipient of a whole white truffle delicately wrapped in tissue paper, and which I shaved over soft scrambled eggs and a mushroom risotto. And then, in order to try and lengthen the use of them, I let the last remnants sit in the jar for that little bit too long and found it collapsed and beyond use [insert sad, so very sad, face here].

    How’d you go with it? And of course, this post made me recall with much happiness my first trip to Hobart with you all. Special place.

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  20. Lovely photos as always Brydie!
    Tasmania is beautiful – I’ve been several times and fell in love with the place on my first visit when I was only about 10 years old.
    I know of a conference that was on recently in Hobart (a friend attended), and if it’s the same as the one you went to, I’m sure it’s an area you would absolutely excel in 🙂

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  21. Ahh, beautiful pics, Brydie. You lucky thing, Tassie is at the top of my list of places to visit.

    You brought home some spelt grains I see! How does one go about grinding up spelt?

    And a truffle too? Oh, my!

    Seeds planted with the help of strong women are always a good thing… very special, in fact. xx

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