Thursday 28 September 2006

Puff Ball Feast

Giant Puffball

A while back I found an enormous Giant Puff Ball near to the eucalyptus patch. I weighed it, photographed it and sniffed it and decided that it was too mushroomy for me. (I can be ambivalent about mushrooms, blame it on a misspent youth). Less subjectively it was full size and just about to go over from firm flesh to spongy. It tore rather than sliced and was dry. You can see the picture above.

Today while trying to clear a patch of rough grass that will form another vegetable bed for next year I ran over two young puff balls with the lawn mower. Sadly they were completely minced by the blades but while investigating them (one was enough to stop the motor in its tracks) found they were really quite appetising and I was brave enough to eat a little bit raw. It tasted good. So when I’d exhausted myself mowing I went back to the eucalyptus grove and looked where I had found the fungus before. And I was in luck. Another puff ball about a quarter of the size of the first one but still firm and only slightly attacked by slugs.

Cleaned, sliced and fried in a batter made of cornflour and water it was delicious. Really good, barely needing salt or pepper although I had both and a squeeze of lemon juice too. They’d better beware out there, I know where they live.

sliced puffcooked puff

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