Puffball

It's Puffball season! Keep an eye open for these big white balls of potential mushroomy goodness. Check my EarthHeart blog (see sidebar) for more specific info on identifying, harvesting and cooking this unusual fungi. Don't miss the photo of the 12-pounder at the Farmer's Market last week!

This particular specimen was growing near the cabin. I've been keeping an eye on it for about a week, monitering it's incredibly fast growth. This evening felt like the right time to harvest, so into the kitchen it went...

where I worked quickly to peel and cook it. In the interest of time and simplicity, I decided to just saute' it, in slices and cubes.


A few shakes of Pampered Chef Rosemary herb seasoning, a splash of marsala, and within minutes, the volleyball-sized puffball was...
reduced to a few small containers to share with friends, a nice bowlful for dinner, and some slices for the freezer.
Cooked Puffballs are softer in texture than our familiar store-bought button mushrooms. They are somewhat like tofu, and are real sponges for flavoring. A nice here-comes-fall treat.