Thanks to my non-farmgirl friend from Chicago for a tip about a Tennessee man’s quest to grow rare, delicious black truffles on American soil. Millions of dollars have been spent trying to grow the truffles in the U.S., but to no avail.
But finally, paydirt. Indeed, plant pathologist Tom Michaels struck Tennessee gold with his grove of hazelnut trees that sprouted the elusive Périgord black truffles so enticing that they are the first American crop to excite some of the country’s top chefs. At least so says the New York Times in its story, “Coveted, French, and Now in Tennessee.”
The Times reports how Michaels, who grew up on a mushroom farm near Chicago, mastered the art and science of tending a truffle orchard. It takes some six to 12 years for the fungi to form the truffles, the Times says: “Mystery and scarcity are part of the truffle’s allure.”
Virtual Farmgirl 