WA personality Anna Gare returns to the South West for this year's Truffle Kerfuffle and sat down to answer some questions about what makes truffles so great.
What do you love about truffles?
The truffle is beautiful, ugly, awesome, rare and precious.
It is smelly in a good kind of umami way and adds that special kind of unique fungi earthy flavour to dishes.
The fact that they are rare, hunted by dogs and we can't just grow them in our backyards makes them even more unique and special.
What is your favourite way to use truffles if you had people over for dinner?
Truffles come into season around the same time as Jerusalem artichokes.
I love whipping up a quick simple soup and then adding lashings of crème fraiche and freshly shaved truffle.
A simple pasta with sautéed local Manjimup mushrooms and lashings of truffle is also another brill crowd pleaser.
What's your favourite truffle dish to prepare at home?
My favourite truffle dish is a decadent but simple breakfast dish.
You know how chocolate tastes best first thing in the morning - well so does truffle.
When I can get my hands on a fresh one, I make a yummy posh brekkie with poached eggs, soft polenta, crispy prosciutto and shaved truffle. It's divine.
The Southern Forests produce is renowned for being high quality. What can you say about Southern Forest produce? Any stand outs besides truffles?
The Southern Forests are famous for their beautiful fresh produce.
One of my faves is the stunning Bravo Apple fresh off the tree or dried.
I love the local trout, marron, olive oils, hazelnuts, avos, chestnuts and so much more.
The food and agriculture industry is thriving and it's great to see lots of successful small producers like Wholysmoke selling their amazing gourmet products around the state
You're almost a local living in the Great Southern region. What makes nearby Manjimup and the Southern Forests area a great place to visit?
It's only a two-hour drive from Denmark and one of the most beautiful scenic drives ever, especially if you go straight down Highway 1 -South Coast Hwy through the Valley of the Giants, the pretty little towns and the rolly polly hills and valleys.
What can event goers expect from your demonstration on the Festival Stage at Winning Appliances & Asko Truffle Kerfuffle?
I will be preparing simple beautiful recipes starring the almighty truffle and other local ingredients.
I am hoping to smoke some trout, cook up some marron, and shave lots of truffles. Basically, keep things simple and delicious, because simple is usually inspiring.
Why were you drawn to participate in Winning Appliances & Asko Truffle Kerfuffle? In your opinion, what makes it special?
It's an awesome festival because it celebrates the people who live and work in the region, the amazing fresh, clean green produce and our magnificent culinary jewel of the Southern Forests- the almighty truffle.
I am delighted to be invited back, this will be my third Truffle Kerfuffle.
The first time I attended the festival was back in my junior MasterChef days in 2012.
I ran cooking workshops at the festival for little kids - we had the Kerfuffle part covered, we made our own truffles out of chocolate. It was a great way of introducing the kids to the unique flavour of truffle.
Anything you'd like to add about Winning Appliances & Asko Truffle Kerfuffle, truffles, Manjimup or Fonty's Pool?
It's a fabulous festival in a beautiful setting with an abundance of great food, incredible chefs cooking with amazing truffles, fantastic produce, cool music, art and very happy food-loving people.
See Anna Gare
Anna Gare will be at Winning Appliances & Asko Truffle Kerfuffle at the Festival Village doing a cooking demonstration 'From the Forest' at 3.10pm on Saturday June 22, and 'Meet the Producers' at 1.30pm on Sunday June 23. Special guest MC of the festival stage is chef Tony Howell.
Australia's biggest truffle festival, the Winning Appliances & Asko Truffle Kerfuffle, will be held from June 21 to 23 at Fonty's Pool, Manjimup, WA.
For more information about the event please visit trufflekerfuffle.com.au.
