I enjoy playing around with wild flours: acorn flour, Jerusalem artichoke flour, and now, roasted dock seed flour. Not because I have a problem with gluten (I don’t) but because it’s fun. And each of these flours brings something different to the things you bake with them.
Dandelion & Black Walnut Pesto Recipe
Lest you think pesto is only for basil…think again! Lots of wonderful greens make excellent pestos, and so do many different nuts and seeds. Dandelions and black walnuts are both strongly flavored wild edibles, and they combine perfectly in this pesto recipe. Fresh, tender dandelion greens and rich black walnuts liven up pasta, rice, bruschetta, or soups.
How to Make Your Own Foraged Bitters
What do bitters do? What purpose do they serve in a cocktail? When I first became obsessed with cocktails, I didn’t know the answer to that question. I knew bitters were originally conceived of as a medicinal, digestive stimulant but I didn’t understand that bitters lend dimension to a cocktail, adding a complex finishing touch. They temper the sweetness of a…
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Black Walnut Cake Recipe
Ok, let’s get one thing straight: black walnuts aren’t for everyone. They have a strong, dark, winey taste, and this black walnut cake recipe focusses on the unique flavor of the nut. You’re going to get pure, unadulterated black walnut taste here, so before you bake, sample a nut to be sure you like its very specific, strong flavor.
How to Harvest and Process Black Walnuts
A hundred years ago, no self-respecting, East Coast farm would have been without at least one black walnut tree on the property. Black walnuts were popular shade trees, and their wood was highly valued for fine carpentry work. They cast a wide, dense shadow (great for keeping the house cool in summer) and the nuts were appreciated as food. Today,…
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