The Loma Prietan
March/April 2006
Cooking Green: The Wonder of Walnuts
By Kay Bushnell
The most common walnut
today is the "Persian walnut, Juglans
regia, which probably originated in
south-central Asia several thousand
years ago. By the time Pompeii fell
under the ash of Vesuvius 2,000
years ago walnuts had made their
way to what is now southern Italy.
The tough and tasty black walnut
is native to North America, but it is the Persian walnut that is
cultivated commercially and widely available for eating and cooking.
The Persian walnut arrived in California in the late 1700s with
Franciscan friars. It thrived in the temperate climate of the San
Joaquin and Sacramento valleys. In recent times, China has planted
many thousands of walnut trees and has become a major competitor
for American walnut farmers.
From September to November the hulls of walnuts begin to
split, and the harvest begins. With the aid of machines the trees are
shaken, their nuts gathered, hulled, and dried. Then they are sorted,
sized, cracked, and packaged.
Walnuts are highly recommended by many physicians and dietitians
because they contain heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids, nutrients
that are also found in fish. Studies have shown that consuming the
equivalent of a handful of walnuts each day can reduce cholesterol.
Therefore, those who consume a healthful plant-based diet frequently
include walnuts in their meals. Other plant foods that contain omega-
3 fatty acids are flax seeds, tofu, canola oil, and leafy greens.
The fat in nuts is primarily monounsaturated, and research has
shown that monounsaturated fats can help to lower overall cholesterol
and improve the ratio of LDL and HDL cholesterol, thus
lowering the risk of heart disease. The Harvard Heart Letter cautions
that "no amount of nuts can offset a poor diet that is high in
saturated fat" and recommends that "…nuts… be used creatively in
place of meat in a diet that contains plenty of fruit, vegetables grains,
and legumes."
The rich taste and texture of walnuts enhances baked goods,
main dishes, salads, appetizers, and confections. Walnuts and pecans
make a delicious addition to holiday stuffings. Ground walnuts can
be key ingredients in meatless burgers, loaves, and meatless "meat"
balls. It's easy to enrich baked goods by including some ground
walnuts. Grind walnuts in a blender until very finely textured, turning
off the blender before they become a paste. Then substitute the
ground nuts for 1/8 to 1/4 of the amount of the flour called for in
the recipe. Adding a tablespoon of cornstarch when blending the
nuts will help to prevent them from clumping.
It doesn't require much effort to sprinkle walnut halves or pieces
into a vegetable or fruit salad such as a Waldorf salad. Pasta dishes
are almost always more delicious with a topping of chopped walnuts.
Roast the nuts first (in a 325° oven for 8-10 minutes) if you want
them to have a more intense flavor. Keep shelled, raw walnuts in a
tight container in your freezer.
Walnut, Rice, and Garbanzo Balls
Delicious with pasta and marinara sauce, sliced into a sandwich, nestled
into mashed potatoes and topped with gravy, or dipped into barbeque sauce
as an appetizer.
1-1/3 cups bread crumbs, preferably whole grain
1 cup walnuts, lightly toasted (to toast raw walnuts lay them in a baking
pan and toast them in a 350° oven for about 5-7 minutes)
3 cups cooked brown rice, preferably short grain
1 cup garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic granules
1- 3/4 teaspoons salt or to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
(Use hand tools or a blender if you do not have a food processor.) In
a food processor whiz bread slices to produce 1-1/3 cups bread crumbs.
Transfer crumbs to a large mixing bowl. Whiz walnuts in the food processor
until they are finely chopped, and transfer them to the mixing bowl. Process
the garbanzo beans, chopping them finely and transferring them to the mixing
bowl. Lastly, whiz the cooked rice until the grains are chopped finely.
Add the rice to the mixing bowl.
Sprinkle the basil, Italian seasoning, garlic granules, and salt evenly
over the mixture in the bowl. In a small bowl blend the cornstarch and
lemon juice and drizzle them evenly over the other ingredients.
Pre-warm the oven to 375°. Blend all ingredients thoroughly with a
large wooden spoon or your hands. Mixture should be cohesive and sticky.
With wet hands form the mixture into balls about 1-1/4 across, and place
them on a cookie sheet covered with baking parchment. Pour a little olive
oil into a small dish and using a pastry brush or crumpled paper towel brush
it over each ball on the cookie sheet. Then bake the balls for 30 minutes
until they are hot and lightly browned. Makes 24 balls.
—Copyright Kay Bushnell