JULIE BIUSO
These wrinkly little wonders are great for your health and have myriad uses in baking and cooking. So go nuts!
In season: walnuts.
It’s kind of spooky when you realise a shelled walnut looks like the human brain, but studies have found a link between eating walnuts and their effect on regulating hunger. So next time you feel peckish, eat a handful of walnuts!
That’s not all… add a few walnuts to your daily diet and you could be living a longer and healthier life.
Years back we were told to watch nut intake because of the high fat content, but it turns out these fats are beneficial to our health and we should be eating more, not less.
That’s great news, particularly for vegetarians and vegans because it is easy to make a protein-rich meal combining walnuts and whole grains (oats, barley, brown rice, burghul etc).
Recent studies show walnuts help protect against heart disease and keep blood vessels healthy by helping them to widen.
We’re lucky in New Zealand that we have an abundance of walnut trees. When I grew up walnuts were imported and had often spent months getting here. Shrivelled, dark brown and bitter, many were rancid and most likely toxic. The health benefits lie in fresh walnuts – if harvested, dried and stored correctly, walnuts in the shell can last a few years. Once shelled they should be stored in a dark, cool pantry and used within 12 months, or frozen (use them straight from the freezer).
Walnut skins can be bitter or astringent. It’s easier to remove the skin after roasting the nuts, which also intensifies the nutty flavour. Spread walnut halves or pieces in a shallow tray and cook for about 7 minutes (but up to 12) in an oven preheated to 180°C. Check after 5 minutes, then every minute or two after that, stirring them around with a spoon. Cook to a light golden colour. Cool; using a bamboo skewer, flick off as much skin as possible and transfer to a glass jar for storage.
In cooking, walnuts are incredibly versatile. Revisit that old classic, Waldorf Salad – apples, celery, grapes and walnuts dressed with creamy mayo. Or try baklava, that Greek layered filo and nut dessert; give it a makeover with a less intensely sweet sugar syrup. It will still be amazing. Then there’s the delicious Turkish dish, Tarator. Whizz fried walnuts in a processor, then whizz in garlic, tahini and lemon juice and thin with water. Stir in salt to taste and lots of chopped parsley. Serve with fish.
“It’s easier to remove the skin after roasting the nuts”