Chestnuts, walnuts, hazlenuts and cobnuts – all manner of nutty delights are available to add a taste of autumn to any menu.
Key Facts
In general, fresh or ‘wet’ nuts are still a novelty for many consumers here in the UK. They are creamy, moist and plump, with a subtly different texture and flavour. Later, in the run-up to Christmas, they dry out and become more hard and crunchy.
Fresh cobnuts, closely related to hazlenuts, are now over for the year, but we can supply them dry and ready to shell. Chinese chestnuts are here in volume, bringing down prices on harvests from France and Italy. Walnuts and hazlenuts are fresh.
Uses in the Kitchen
Use any of these nuts – both wet and dry – in place of the standard (and pricey) pine nuts found in a traditional Italian pesto. Why you’re at it, why not experiment with different herbs, too, such as parsley and a touch of mint instead of basil?
Chef Skye Gyngell has a number of interesting recipes for nuts in her column in the Independent newspaper, including an anchovy and walnut sauce.
Roast nuts to sprinkle on top of soups or salads for added crunch. Nuts, of course, are an integral ingredient in many cake recipes. They are also terrific added to breakfast dishes such as porridge or granola. Store any leftover nuts in a cool, dry place.
Don’t forget about nut oils, too. We can’t supply them ourselves, but they add a fresh dimension to salad dressings in place of the ubiquitous extra virgin.
