Have you checked the price of walnuts lately? It's easy to pay 7 or 8 dollars a pound.
I know this, because I bake a lot. My wife is tempermental, but if I bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies, with nuts, she immediately calms down and is one with the world. And with me.
In my neighborhood there are 4 homes that have grand old walnut trees growing on their lots. None of the home owners know quite what to do with them, so the squirrels and the crows make off with most of them. Over the past few years, I have ingratiated myself with them, introduced myself, and told them that if they can't or won't use the nuts, I certainly will.
Today, I made the rounds, and I have what will probably net out to at least 15 or 20 pounds of walnuts drying on my deck. It took me about 30 minutes to rake them up and bag them before bringing them home. At 7 dollars a pound at the store, I consider that a good day's work.
So...what does one do with all of those walnuts?
Let's dispense with the obvious right up front. There will be many loaves of banana nut bread, and many batches of chocolate chip cookies.
But I have collected some recipes over the years that use nuts for the main entree, not just desert. And I'll probably be making this next week:
Peruvian Chicken in Spicy Walnut Sauce
3 1/2 lb chicken, cut up
3 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper -- to season
3 tablespoons Olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 or 3 Ají amarillo chile peppers, finely chopped (these are Peruvian chiles, and good luck finding them...I use Red chile peppers...Thai chilies.)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of fresh bread crumbs
Evaporated milk or cream -- 1 cup
1/2 to 2/3 cup of ground walnuts
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano chese
Salt and pepper -- to taste
Bring chicken, stock, salt and pepper to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the chicken, reserving the broth. When cool enough to handle, shred the chicken with your fingers. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium flame. Add the onion and ají peppers and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, 3 or 4 minutes.
Add the shredded chicken back to the pot, along with the breadcrumbs and evaporated milk or cream and enough of the reserved stock enough to give it a nice saucy consistency. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Stir in the walnuts, Parmesan cheese. Simmer for another 2 or 3 minutes, adding more of the remaining broth as needed to make a nice sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve hot over rice or boiled potatoes (or both). For a typical garnish, top portions with sliced hard-boiled eggs and pitted black olives.
I know...you are looking at that recipe and thinking to yourself...hmmmmm
Trust me, it is good.
I love these snacks, and now that I have plenty of walnuts, I'll be making some:
Hot & Spicy Walnuts
from The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook
These are only mildly spicy …to kick it up a bit, add extra cayenne pepper.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon celery salt
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
1 ½ cups unsalted walnuts
1 tablespoon sea salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Melt the butter in saucepan. Add the Worcestershire sauce and spices, but not the walnuts or sea salt.
Stir to blend and simmer for a minute over low heat. Stir in the nuts.
Spread the nuts in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake 15 – 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with the salt. Stir to distribute the salt. Cool and serve or store in an airtight container.
Here is a recipe from Georgia..not the US state, but the former Soviet State. This stuff is so good you'll quickly become addicted.
Georgian Honey-Walnut Candy
1 cup honey
2 Tablespoons water
2 cups unsalted walnuts, chopped
Combine Honey and water in a skillet. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until the honey begins to caramelize (get thick) and turn brown. Be careful, it bubbles.
Remove from heat and add chopped walnuts.
Stir until all walnuts are covered with honey.
Pour mixture onto a wax paper covered plate and press down until the candy is flat. You can use the back side of a spoon or top the candy with another piece of wax paper and press with your hands.
When the candy has cooled, break into bite sized pieces and enjoy!