After the Big Frost

Each fall after the first one or two really hard frosts is a great time for being out in the woods, having taken the usual precautions against being mistaken for a deer or other wild game. This fall’s first foray was a huge success, yielding a bounty of puffballs.

Here’s what happened next (once the dirt ends of the stems were cut off and any remaining dirt or forest detritus brushed away):

Sliced into a pan with a few tablespoons of high-quality olive oil, on medium-high heat. The aim is to brown, not burn, so be careful. Only the puffs that are white inside make the cut.

Don’t eat these.

Since our garden yielded a good number of jalapenos and other peppers, they go into the pan, too, after the puffs have gotten good and golden, they may be turned over in the pan.

We brought in a large number of green cherry tomatoes in advance of the frost. Sliced, they made a nice addition to the pan, too.

Finish things off with one medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced thinly. The goal is to keep things cooking until the veggies are done, without allowing anything to get soggy. We added a hunk of butter at the end, a little salt, and some chopped up fresh dill (also rescued from the garden), and served over pad thai rice noodles. About 45 minutes from harvest to dinner-time, including initial mushroom prep (clean & slice)…