Oregon truffles will be celebrated nationally by the renowned Blackberry Farm during a culinary event Feb. 5 through Feb. 7.Leslie Scott and Charles Lefevre of the Oregon Truffle Festival and New World Truffieres will join Executive Chef Rocky Maselli of Marche Restaurant in Eugene, Ore., as Ambassadeurs de truffe, bringing their beloved ingredient to the American Southland.This event will follow the anticipated success of the Fifth Annual Oregon Truffle Festival Jan. 29 through Jan. 31.The convergence of the Pacific Northwest and the American South will inspire a heavenly melding of cuisines and philosophies that champion the seasonal and the farm-raised. “The chefs and artisanal food producers who have gathered at the Farm are not cooking from recipes or trends. Rather, they are studying what the land offers each day with one thing in mind: to help the food be what it wants to be and to use that essence to create a dish that expresses a particular place on a particular day, says Chef Sam Beall of Blackberry Farm.This responsive way of treating ingredients has earned Blackberry Farm recognition as a leader in gastronomic excellence from such culinary and hospitality organizations as Relais and Chateaux, Relais Gourmand, Gourmet magazine, and Zagat.The Farm’s achievement in connecting culinary experiences with social value is what links it with the truffle supporters of Oregon. Leslie Scott, managing partner of the Oregon Truffle Festival, makes it her mission to link the beauty of Oregon’s bounty with the social aspects of rich experiences, relationships and lasting memories. Her commitment to authenticity and conviviality create an atmosphere where far more than food is being shared.There is nothing more authentic than fresh, seasonal food being enjoyed by all kinds of people around the table. We want our guests to understand not just the connection of farm-to-table but how those connections and relationships create culture and build community. That Oregon has such fantastic native culinary truffles to warm us during the winter months gives us something to look forward to celebrating every year, says Scott.The weekend will showcase the celebrated fungi through a melange of educational events and experiences led by mycologist Charles Lefevre & whose truffle trees are planted at Blackberry Farm & and Blackberry Farm’s truffle dogs and their trainer, Jim Sanford. Saturday culminates in a truffle dinner with an exceptional menu prepared by Rocky Maselli and chefs from Blackberry Farm, paired with outstanding wines from Oregon winemaker Josh Bergstrom of Bergstrom Wines.The Blackberry Farm event is sure to represent a leap in culinary prestige for Oregon and its New World Truffles since it follows the internationally recognized Oregon Truffle Festival and places them prominently on the national stage of gastronomic eminence. It will be a benchmark sure to hasten the fruition of Oregon and North America’s emerging truffle industry.
