The Giant Puffball
On dumplings, motherly paws, and hearthside contentment
Calvatia gigantea, commonly known as the giant puffball, is a puffball mushroom commonly found in meadows, fields, and deciduous forests usually in late summer and autumn. It is found in temperate areas throughout the world.
Thank You! Wikipedia
The puffball, like most fungi, is mostly water. When the puffball is fried, it partially dissolves into a mushy, bland blob in the pan. I wasn’t impressed, even as a mushroom-loving forager. But I’m really thinking about trying Mrs. Scritch’s recipe and making dumplings. I won’t be using robin eggs, though. Maybe quail eggs would be more appropriate!
From The Tarn
Puffball Dumplings
“Oh, I don’t know!” Mrs. Scritch blushed, pleased. “It’s just a pinch of this and that, but I do say it’s just a knack from seasons of practice. . .” Mrs. Scritch’s response when Vel asks for her dumpling recipe.
Get yer rock tripe and garlic broth to a rolling boil.
In a separate bowl, mix a pawful of real finely ground-up millet and chopped puffball—just when the puffball is white and smells freshest.
Toss in one robin egg (if you can find one!) and a pinch of parsley.
Whip all of it together. You’ll need to add more millet flour to make them stick together into balls. You just drop them into the broth and slap the lid down for two cricket songs, and there ya go! Suppers fixed, just like that!
An older doemuss stepped from the table to the hearth with round white balls in her paws. Each time she dropped one of the balls into a bubbling pot hanging over the fire, she would say, “Ope, there we go.” After a while, she noticed she was being watched.
“Wonderful! Hello there, Mr. Reed. Holding up, are we? I’ll need you to drink this, now,” the doemuss urged gently. She stooped down to meet his eyes. Vel felt his heart quiver. He gulped, looking up at the older mouse. She had a kind smile and soft eyes. Her fur, white at the temples, showed her seasons. She moved in no hurry but with purpose and grace. Vel probably would have eagerly done anything she asked. He scooted to a sitting position and took the cup she offered. It was like his acorn cap bowl, only smaller, fashioned into a drinking vessel with a handle. The contents were just as much a marvel. He couldn’t tell what it was, but it didn’t matter. It smelled wholesome and wonderfully eatable.
“Forgive me, Mr. Reed,” the doemuss said when Vel hesitated. “I didn’t put a dumpling in your cup. I wasn’t sure if it would be too rich on the stomach in your condition.”
“Oh, it’s quite all right. I was just…it smells lovely.” Vel’s ears flushed. —from Mischief of Rats, Tales from the Tarn Hold. Coming soon and into the hands of readers this fall!
If you enjoyed this story, please share and tell others. Next week, we will look at St. John’s Wort and how it was used at The Tarn.
Disclaimer: This post is not the sole aid for plant identification, nor is this a reference for recommendations of what plants to eat or use as humans. This is for informational purposes only. The author expects the reader to appreciate nature completely and use common sense in every way to do so.