Truffle Season Announcement In The Uzès Tourist Office

Hello Everyone! I took some time off from writing to start my 2026 in France. I trust your 2026 is off to a great start, and wish you all the best in this coming year! May you be happy, healthy, and prosperous!

Fresh Truffle In My Kitchen

In our area in South France near Uzès, the highly prized culinary black truffle is in season now. Truffles are available in the winter markets from truffle producteurs (producers), restaurants create truffle specific menus, wine and truffle paired events are offered, there are truffle hunting with dogs demonstrations, and the third weekend in January is the culmination of events and celebrations centered around the prized truffle in Uzès. My husband John, and I were fortunate to take in a few of these very special events with wine and truffle pairings.

Collias Wine Cooperative, Wine & Truffle Pairing Event

Duche D’Uzès Winemaker’s Wine & Truffle Gala.

Truffles grow underground at the base of certain trees like oak, hazelnut, hornbeam, pine, and a few others. The unique landscape around the Uzès area is ideal for the black truffle. The black truffle, also called the black diamond for it’s culinary excellence, has been found, cultivated, and highly revered for centuries. In Uzès, truffle season is from November to March.

Fat absorbs the unique flavor of truffle the best. Therefore, truffle pairs very well with eggs, creams, butter, and fats. I had the good fortune to talk to with a friendly wife of a truffle producteur, who said she always infuses her cream, her eggs with truffle for at least a day in advance, before using it in her cooking. Not having really cooked with truffle before, I decided to try truffle three different ways.

Truffles are not cheap, the truffle pictured below was about the size of a small whole walnut, and cost about 19 euros, or about $23.00. By the way, the recommended way to store fresh truffles before use is to wrap them individually in a paper towel, place them in an airtight glass jar, and refrigerate them in the crisper drawer. Change your paper towel around the truffle daily, and use your fresh truffle within a week.

Truffle Butter Is Very Flavorful And Easy To Cook With

Storing Fresh Eggs With Black Truffle In An Airtight Glass Container

Infusing Cream With Black Truffle Shavings In An Airtight Glass Jar

Pan-Seared Salmon Over Celery Root Purée

The first recipe I tried was a Celery Root Purée, a recipe similar to Ina Garten’s. However, I used celery root and potatoes, boiling them separately as they have different cooking times. I had previously infused the cream I used with black truffle shavings, adding it to my mashed celery root and potatoes. The fresh salmon was so delicious from my favorite (and very handsome) fishmonger at the Uzès market. French green lentils are also a culinary treat, and go so well with salmon, I made those also, to have on the side.

Truffle-Infused Cream Sauce Pasta With Peas And Ham

The second recipe I tried was Truffle-Infused Cream Sauce Pasta With Peas And Ham. Very simple and very flavorful. The key was the subtle truffle flavor infused for a day in the cream sauce.

Sauteing Onions, Garlic, and Mushrooms In Truffle Butter For An Omelet

The third recipe I tried was a French Omelet for lunch. The French normally don’t eat eggs for breakfast. Eggs are eaten more often for lunch or a light dinner. In fact in France the saying goes, “Breakfast is light, Lunch is sacred, and Dinner is social.” First, with my truffle butter I sauteed onions, garlic, and then the mushrooms until they became dry. I whipped my eggs infused with truffle, added a touch of truffle-infused cream to the eggs, poured the egg mixture into the pan, and then added the ready mushroom filling. What an omelet!

Cooking with truffles is fun and easy, and wow that incredible truffle taste elevates every dish you cook with. I am going to cook more with fresh truffle, when it is in season, and experiment with more recipes.

Fresh Truffles For Sale At The Uzès Market

Truffle season was really fun this year. Participating in these events was also a great glimpse into another facet of this local culture, people, and cuisine. I am very grateful for the conversation with the truffle producteur’s wife, as the few truffle tips she gave me, got my truffle cooking adventure off on the right foot.

She said her husband’s father was also a truffle producteur, and I am sure on the same land. Curious, I asked about their truffle-hunting dogs, thinking they had probably five or so. Oh, non, just one, and one puppy being trained, and never inside the house.

Please share if you have cooked with truffles before, and have a favorite recipe.

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie