Stimulated by the aromatic delights of the “black gold” truffles shaved so abundantly at Saturday night’s grand truffle feast, foragers were up bright and early on another stunningly clear Napa day. The magnificent views from Angwin’s Howell Mountain gave way to forested paths on which foragers roamed, learning a plethora of pointers along the way on how and where to find fungi.
Mycologists David Campbell and Stephanie Jarvis guided the group through hands-on identification of a variety of fresh and dried mushrooms, the most effective hunting techniques, the kinds of varieties growing in the Napa area, and shared tips on proper mushroom handling and storage, the best ways to cook them and how to get the most mileage out of a single truffle—such as storing butter, eggs and cheese with them so they become infused with truffle essence.
