More than $1,600 in truffles were consumed in the creation of this post.

You should have seen them all, smelled them. There were loads of big beautiful Black Perigord truffles generously donated by Jane Smith of Truffles NC.

It was all in support of the Backpack Program, a child hunger initiative created by the Second Harvest Food Bank. These truffles were the draw that brought more than 4o guests, two chefs, a local food writer and a team of volunteers together to raise more than $3,000 in three hours for food insecure children in our rural communities.

Truffles NC donates a percentage of their sales each year to the Backpack Program. This annual dinner was created by Jane to help increase those funds each year.

 

We met Jane a few months ago at the Cobblestone Farmers Market and we quickly became raving fans of her truffle honey and truffle butter. We picked her brain for tips and nerded out on facts, like -

• Did you know the piedmont region of North Carolina is prime for growing truffles? The NC Department of Agriculture awarded grant money years back to encourage former tobacco farmers to transition to this newly transplanted, highly coveted crop.
• On average, black perigord truffles sell from $60 – $100 an OUNCE.

• It typically takes 8 – 10 years after planting the inoculated trees for growers to reap their first harvest (talk about patience! No wonder they’re so expensive!)

• Trained dogs (or traditionally female pigs) are used to sniff out the truffles for growers. (Turtle might be getting a new day job.)
• When Martha Stewart was looking to start a truffle growing operation, she visited North Carolina and Jane to get the expert scoop!

Last month, Jane and our new friends at Beta Verde reached out to see if we might want to help bring the Second Annual Truffle Dinner together.

Hmmm… let’s see… eat decadent truffles for a day while giving back and supporting Jane’s generous efforts. How could we resist?

Chef Susi Gott Seguret, director of the Seasonal School of Culinary Arts in Asheville designed the evening’s menu and Harrison pitched in on execution. Margaret and Salem Neff, owners of Beta Verde and managers of the Cobblestreet Farmers Market, opened up their fantastic home and sourced almost all of the ingredients locally from nearby producers, including Harmony Ridge Farms, Gary’s Produce, Flora Ridge Farm, Grace Meadow Farm, Border Springs Farm, Carolina Mountain Trout, Camino Bakery and Three Sisters Bakery.

Biltmore Estate graciously provided champagne to kick off the evening while Susi treated the guests to truffle rolling demos to get their hands dirty.

Sanders Ridge Winery also joined us for wine tastings and bottle sales for proper pairings and to keep the good times flowing.

The dollars raised will be used to provide elementary school children at risk of hunger with backpacks full of nutritious, child-friendly foods to take home over the weekends during the school year.

A special thank you to everyone who helped make this special night possible and bring Jane’s vision and mission to life.

And thanks to Michael Hastings for the great coverage in the Winston-Salem Journal here!

Until cook with new friends again,

a+h