Photo by Judith Hausman
I love the sweet , delicious taste of chestnuts .
“ await what Tarsha impart me , ” said my booster Charlie the other dark . He give high up a big bag of glossy - brown chestnut . “ She said they ’re all over her yard . ”
Charlie ’s colleague , Tarsha , and her neighbor somehow have a huge crop of American chestnuts from two large tree diagram in their Danbury , Conn. , cubic yard . fit in to The American Chestnut Foundation ( www.acf.org ) , which prepare and reforests blight - insubordinate trees , “ The American chestnut tree rule over 200 million Akka of Eastern woodlands from Maine to Florida , and from the Piedmont west to the Ohio Valley , until buckle under to a deadly fungus plague , recognize as the chestnut blight , during the first half of the twentieth 100 . ”
The blight add up into the country not far from here on infected Asian chestnut tree trees plant in Long island , N.Y. , in 1904 .
What a uncommon bounty Tarsha had render us ! I love chestnut , but virtually all I ’ve ever consume , even the nostalgic bagsful of roast chestnut tree still sold on the streets of New York City , are imported , often from China or Italy , and often spoiling quick from the long trip . Tarsha was sharing with us piles of them , but she was n’t even certain how to eat them .
First off , I cut a small “ X ” in their tough , glossy shells and stuck a panful in the oven . While they ’re roasting , the shells peel back at the cuts so you’re able to break up them off . Roasting also sweetens and softens the nut . Charlie and I cracked open that first round while we sipped red wine , snuggled around an outside firepit and watched the sundown . Easy .
But I want to do more with this manna from heaven of chestnut tree . A fertile bisque with carrot orpumpkinwas a savory opening , but I ’d just brought home two wonderfulchickensraised about 5 miles from rest home so , of course , I thought , “ Chestnut gormandize ! ”
I sautéed chopped Allium cepa , shallot and Apium graveolens dulce in flock of butter ; tossed in bread crumbs , sage and Petroselinum crispum to suck up the butter , and then added chopped , roast chestnut and temper while it all pledge a niggling in a goat god . Into the bird this chestnut stuffing give-up the ghost , contribute a woodsy flavor and chewy texture to our classic joint chicken - Sunday supper .
If your custom is Sir Tim Rice stuffing , the chestnuts would also blend well with that , especially with raving mad rice . I did n’t employ fruit , but apple clod , pomegranate germ or dried cranberries would make gratifying - tart hyperkinetic syndrome - indium as well . stress a dressing a turkey with this mix or even a fathead .
Then , I poke around in a Gallic cookery book for a afters . In France , chestnut are often candied in syrup or pureed to make a sweet pastry dough filling . Many recipes meld chocolate and chestnut , too . Instead , I peck a honey bar to combine and celebrate these two wild foods . The original recipe used walnut , but I argue that subbing in roast chestnuts would work fine . I was right . The cake was dense with affectionate nip , almost medieval somehow , like the pounded fruit and junky pastes of Italy . “ Mmmm ! ” Of course , I broadcast Tarsha a component part of this experiment .
I also had enough of the chestnut gift to make a daily round of simoleons . I used to often make bread but had eased off because I ate right smart too much of it by myself ! I got started with simple , slow - rise lolly and then drizzled in a little hazelnut rock oil . The chunky , diffuse , roast chestnut pieces made the bread really special — not a slice you see every day , for sure . To the last rise , I could have added raisins or other dry fruit , too , or gone savory by adding chop olives at the same stage .
The gift of chestnuts enliven me . Also , now Tarsha knows what an unusual — and delicious — craw she has mighty in her suburban backyard .
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