Truffles are mushrooms that 'fruit' underground and attract animals (like us) to dig them up with their enticing savoury aromas.  There are two main types of culinary truffle native to Southern BC: Oregon Black Truffles (Leucangium carthusianum), and Oregon White Truffles (eg. Tuber oregonense). The wild and elusive Oregon white truffle is delicious and a trained truffle dog can sniff them out easily (giving you dog owners any ideas?) . Truffle dog trainer, Brooke Page, says, “The challenge with training is not teaching your dog to find truffles. They already know how to do that. The trick is teaching them to communicate to you where they are.” You can try starting your dog in a Douglas fir forest, in a valley, typically with trees younger than 50. Truffles are expensive so it might just be worth giving it a go.  We also cultivate truffles in BC on hazelnut farms like Below the Oaks Farm's bianchetto white truffles which we will be serving at our Truffle Xmas Dinner on Dec 13+14.  Grab a few friends to celebrate the holiday's at the Swallow Tail secret Supper Club. 

I'm holding the fascinating and storied Fly Agaric mushroom from this weeks mushroom class.  It is a toxic mushroom when eaten raw causing major GI symptoms, but it has been used in cultural ceremonies around the world for centuries.  Notice that it is perfectly safe to handle mushrooms like this, just don't eat them. To learn more, come to a class...

WILD Mushroom Classes are on until the mushrooms are gone which last year was well into December!  To learn how to safely and sustainably harvest wild edible mushrooms like hedgehog, chanterelle, lobster and cauliflower mushrooms come out with one of our myco-guides and learn the ropes.  Weekend classes book up fast. 

Fall Wild Indian Feast

ONLY 10 tickets left!

Sat, Nov 23th, 6:30pm

Star Chef Tushar Tondvalkar (Winner of Chef vs Wild TV series on HULU) collaborates with Swallow Tail's foraging team to create a 7 course Indian feast at the supper club.  Ingredients like winter seaweeds, stinging nettle,  and wild fall greens are a few of the chef harvested ingredients that he'll weave into his delicious menu.

Chef Brent Thornton (Good thief/Is that French) creates a seven course dinner at the Swallow Tail supper club featuring the most expensive mushroom in the world, Matsutake, also known as pine mushrooms.  It will be paired with with East Coast lobster and lobster mushrooms like this lovely one that Chef Robin harvested for your dinner.  This will be a dinner like no other, treat yourself!