Truffles are in the air

Truffles have always seemed a fairly adult kind of treat, not least because of the exorbitant cost, but there’s no doubt children can love them, too.

This year, the Kids Pantry cooking school is offering truffle cooking as part of its July school holiday program. Dishes include truffle custard with poached pears, truffle pasta, and a truffled chicken sandwich.

On July 17, they’re heading out to a truffle farm at Braidwood ($140, kidspantry.com.au).
For adults, Christophe Gregoire of Le Tres Bon, in Bungendore holds truffle classes on June 29, July 6 and July 20. You’ll learn dishes such as chestnut and truffle soup; truffled celeriac and scallops; and chestnut flan with truffled ice-cream ($120 a class, finishing with a long-table lunch).

The Le Tres Bon classes are also packaged with hunts at farms in the area: Damian Robinson’s Turalla, and Denzil and Anne Sturgiss’s farm in Tarago (trufflefestival.com.au).

If you prefer to eat them without the work of finding and cooking them, Grazing at Gundaroo has a ‘‘hunters feast’’ on July 6, serving potted wild boar with roast chestnuts; rolled pheasant and quail with chantarelle mushrooms; and ‘‘slow-roasted field-shot hare’’ in a cassoulet with black truffle; and braised venison cheek with black pudding ($100, or $140 with wine).

Just the kind of wild action that seems suited to truffles.