Oh, Nuts! (Recipes)

The first two recipes are savory pasta toppings that are meant to be added to cooked pastas that have been dressed with butter or olive oil. For the first recipe, if you cannot find fresh marjoram, another leafy herb (such as oregano or basil) can be used instead. The second topping looks (and tastes) especially nice on colorful pastas. With the generous amount of cheddar cheese in the second topping recipe, the resulting dish is heartier fare than the first topping. I like to add finely chopped garlic when I pre-dress the cooked pasta with oil for the Herbed Cheese and Walnut Topping. Both recipes come from The Encyclopedia of Pasta by Bridget Jones.

Parmesan with Roasted Pine Nuts for Pasta
Serves 4

6 T. pine nuts
2 T. finely chopped parsley
1 T. finely chopped fresh marjoram
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Put the pine nuts in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan.

Dry-roast them by cooking them over a low to medium heat, shaking the pan often, until they are evenly and lightly browned. Remove from the heat, and let cool.

Mix the parsley and marjoram with the Parmesan; then stir in the pine nuts.

Herbed Cheese and Walnut Topping
Serves 4

2 cups coarsely grated Cheddar cheese
4 T. finely chopped parsley
1 T. chopped fresh thyme
4 T. snipped chives
1 cup very finely chopped walnuts

Mix the cheese, parsley, thyme, chives and walnuts; sprinkle over piping hot pasta, and toss well. Serve immediately.

Though I've recently been told that these cookies are not truly Russian, my mother made them at holiday time and called them "Russian Teacakes." This recipe is from an old Betty Crocker cookbook. Though I use walnuts that are finely chopped in a food processor, I recently sampled cookies that my sister made using ground walnuts. The results are different; both are deliciously addictive.

Russian Teacakes

1 cup soft butter
1/2 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 1/4 cups sifted flour
1/4 t. salt
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts

Mix butter, sugar, and vanilla thoroughly. Measure flour by dip-level-pour method. Blend flour and salt; stir in. Mix in nuts. Chill.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. While still warm, roll cookies in confectioner's sugar. Cool on a rack. Roll in sugar again.

Makes about 4 dozen 1-inch cookies.

Almonds:

The almond belongs to the same family of trees as peach, apricot and plum. Though almonds were first cultivated in the ancient Nile River Valley, California now produces two-thirds of the world's supply of sweet almonds.

There are actually two types of almonds – sweet and bitter. The sweet variety are the nuts we eat. Bitter almonds are toxic if eaten raw. Almond flavoring and oil is extracted from the bitter nut after naturally-occurring prussic acid is removed. Bitter almond flavoring and oil is used in a wide variety of cosmetics and food products, such as perfume, lotion, almond extract, maraschino cherries, chewing gum, candy, and liqueurs.

Sweet almonds supply calcium, protein, fiber, phosphorus, iron, potassium and riboflavin. Though 81% of almonds' calories come from fat, the fat is unsaturated, primarily monounsaturated. The almond is a versatile nut, with the ability to enhance a food's flavor without overpowering it. Sweet almonds are used in tasty dishes throughout the world. In French cuisine, amandine means the dish is made or is garnished with almonds. Almonds are a classic ingredient in foods as diverse as Moroccan tangine (or stew), Chinese chicken, and Italian panforte. From marzipan to tortes to pudding, baking wouldn't be the same without almonds, chopped, sliced, roasted, ground into meal, paste, or extracted.

This recipe makes 50 delicate cake-like cookies that contain no wheat, butter, sugar or milk.

Chinese Almond Cookies

12 cups sifted brown rice flour
3 cup sifted arrowroot
1 t. cream of tartar or 3 t. vitamin C crystals
2 t. baking soda
1 egg
2 cup honey
2 cup oil
1 t. pure almond extract
50 whole almonds

Sift the flour, arrowroot, cream of tartar (or vitamin C crystals) and baking soda into a medium bowl.

Beat the egg in a large bowl with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Beat in the honey in a thin stream. Beat in the oil the same way. Add the almond extract.

Add about half the flour mixture to the bowl, and beat in on low speed until thoroughly incorporated. Add the remaining flour, and mix in on low speed until well blended. Chill dough for 1 hour.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough onto lightly oiled cookie sheets. Allow at least 1 inch between cookies for them to spread during baking. Press an almond into the center of each cookie.

From The Allergy Self-Help Cookbook by Marjorie Hurt Jones

Hazelnuts:

The names hazelnut and filbert have come to be used interchangeably, though originally the American variety was called a hazelnut and the European nut a filbert.

Hazelnuts are a whopping 92% fat, fortunately most of it is monounsaturated. These tasty nuts also supply protein, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and dietary fiber.

Hazelnuts are particularly delicious when they are freshly roasted. They can also be eaten raw or combined, for a quick and satisfying snack, with fruit and cheese. Pastry chefs have long prized this nut for baking, adding them to cookies, cakes, candy, scones, brownies, tortes, and for pairing with chocolate. Hazelnuts have more recently become a trendy addition to savory dishes – as an ingredient in a pasta topping, or as a ground-nutmeal breading for sautéed fish or meat. Sauces can be thickened with finely ground hazelnuts, adding not only body, but also a complex nutty flavor.

The following recipe can be spread on crackers, bread, or French toast. It can be used in recipes in place of peanut butter, or mix it with chocolate topping for an unusual ice cream treat.

Hazelnut Butter

Place 2 cups skinned toasted hazelnuts (see Note) in a food processor and process until they are pureed, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. Transfer the butter to an airtight container, and refrigerate. Hazelnut Butter will keep, tightly covered and refrigerated, for several weeks; frozen, for several months. Makes 1 cup.

Note: To toast hazelnuts: preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the nuts in a baking pan large enough to hold them in a single layer and toast, stirring once, until they give off a toasted aroma, 10 to 15 minutes. Wrap the nuts in a kitchen towel and rub them between your hands to remove the skin.

From The Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Herrmann Loomis

Walnuts:

Walnuts were eaten in Persia as long ago as 7000 BC. We can thank Franciscan missionaries for planting this delectable nut when they settled in California.

The pale-shelled walnuts widely known as English walnuts are actually Persian walnuts that are interbred with a French variety. These so-called English walnuts are the nuts we typically find in stores and in baked goods. Black Walnuts are native to our land, but their nutmeats are rarely found in stores because Black Walnut shells are so darned hard to crack. If you've a black walnut tree on your property, after much effort, you'll find that the nutmeat is stronger and woodsier flavored than that of the English walnut. 89% of walnuts' calories come from fat, mostly polyunsaturated, with some monounsaturated and some omega-3 fatty acid. Walnuts are a good source of potassium. They also supply protein, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins A and C.

Walnuts do go rancid quickly. If possible, buy these nuts in the shell, or at least by halves (rather than pieces). Leave walnuts in larger pieces while storing; chop them right before cooking. The larger the nutmeat piece, the longer it'll last. Purchase in smallish quantities and, once home, store them in an airtight container in the freezer.

Walnuts are easily associated with sweets and baked goods. They are also a welcome addition to savory dishes. Toss warm roasted walnuts on a spinach salad. Include them as an addition, or as the main "meat", in a sour cream stroganoff. Toast and chop walnuts with garlic, cheese, and olive oil for a quick pasta topping.

Maple Walnut Pie

2 T. unsalted butter, softened
2 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 slightly beaten eggs
1 cup pure maple syrup
2 cup light cream
1 t. vanilla
c t. salt
2 T. flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
9-inch unbaked pie shell
Whipped cream for topping

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Cream the butter and brown sugar together. Beat in the eggs, maple syrup, cream, vanilla, salt, and flour. When this mixture is well blended, fold in the chopped walnuts.

Scrape the completed filling into the pie shell and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean. Cool the pie on a rack. Serve at room temperature with plenty of unsweetened whipped cream.

From The Outlaw Cook by John Thorne

Pamela Lee is an artist, foodie, and teacher of art history at Washington State University.

For the Cook Who Likes to Garden, and the Gardener Who Likes to Cook
Tofu-Garlic Mashed Potatoes

R. Ohlgren-Evans, from the February 2000 Newsletter

Reviewing magazines this month for the Bookshelf, I couldn't resist choosing a recipe from another great magazine that we carry at the Co-op: Vegetarian Times is an old favorite, full of recipes and food articles and the December issue includes a recipe index for the entire year.

I know several area gardeners who grow enough potatoes for the year, storing them in a root cellar to winter-over.

These mashed potatoes are dairy-free, and have only 3 grams of total fat. Don't overwork mashed potatoes, or they turn gluey.

Tofu-Garlic Mashed Potatoes

6 medium cloves garlic, peeled
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup low-fat firm silken tofu
2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
pinch of ground nutmeg

In small saucepan, combine garlic and broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until garlic is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Transfer broth to blender or food processor. Add tofu and oil and process until mixture is smooth and creamy. Set aside, and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, in large saucepan, combine potatoes with enough cold water to cover. Add 1 tsp. salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Reserving 1/2 cup of potato cooking water, drain potatoes well.

In large bowl, mash potatoes; gently stir in warm tofu mixture and enough reserved potato water to make smooth puree. Season with remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, pepper and nutmeg and serve.

Recipe: Spuds at Home

Volunteered by Gary Macfarlane in the February 2000 Newsletter

After riding my bike home the back way, in the dark, on the ice, with the dim lamp fading fast, I arrive to find that Bobbi has been at home for some time. I was supposed to have dinner ready. I use the long, slow ride as an excuse. Cooking at home seems to be a chore. What's a gut to do?

Potatoes, that grand American food. I go into the basement, find the organic potatoes Bobbi grew, slice 'em fast and thick, and throw 'em into a pan with organic onions (our crop didn't work too well this year), some of Paradise Farm's organic garlic, and a splash of organic olive oil. Bobbi has these fancy, no-stick pans, and the potatoes usually don't get stuck. Ah, the wonders of technology.

So, here it is:

5 potatoes, washed (leave on the skins, like bread crust, the skins contain the most vitamins).
1 onion (take the papery skin off this thing. Even if it has vitamins, it's like eating cellophane).
2-3 cloves of garlic (I mince them barely at all because I like big chunks. Bobbi doesn't, so she rechops them and finishes cooking. See how I got her to do dinner?)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste. (I like mustard on potatoes. Bobbi thinks that is weird and disgusting.)

Copyright: Copyright on articles and recipes are jointly held by the Moscow Food Co-op and the respective authors, except were otherwise noted.

Return to Recipe List

For additions or corrections to this page, please contact the Webmaster.