Seasons by the Sea: The Humble Nut

My friends Cindy and Jimmy have a huge glass jar filled with pistachios on their kitchen counter. When I say huge, I mean it. It is the size of a Southern church lady’s iced tea dispenser. And it’s always full.

I find this comforting . . . and tasty. When I remarked on it the other day, Jimmy asked, “Why haven’t you ever written about nuts? They’re good for you!”

So thank you, Jimmy, here it is.

Not that long ago, nuts were vilified for the mere fact that they’re fattening. Yes, some of them are, but as we have discovered (or realized) more recently, nut fats and oils can be good for you, some extremely good. Under the strictest definition, only acorns, hazelnuts, beech, and chestnuts are true nuts — that is, an edible seed surrounded by a hard shell. But coconuts, pine nuts, and numerous seeds also fit into this category of ancient nutritious foods. Because most do not require cooking to be edible, they have been a valuable food source since prehistoric times.

Walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, and chestnuts have been around longer than other food plants, over 60 million years, according to Harold McGee’s “On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen.” They are the richest food we eat, with 50 percent or more oil, 10 to 25 percent protein, vitamin E, and folic acid. Because of their high oil content, they become rancid very quickly, so proper storage is important. Most can be kept sealed in a glass jar in a cool, dark, dry place, but many can be kept frozen for several years. Considering how expensive they are, it is good to heed this advice.

Raw nuts are relatively tasty, but toasting, roasting, or frying them brings out marvelous flavors. Nuts and seeds taste good with everything from fish to salads to desserts and drinks. We’re all familiar with the different kinds of nut oils, sunflower, peanut, coconut, and more. Walnut, hazelnut, and pistachio oils are popular in Europe as flavors for salads and breads. Toasted sesame oil is common in Asian cooking.

Nut pastes such as tahini, almond, and peanut are common in many cultures: tahini to make hummus and baba ghanoush in the Middle East, almonds for soups in Spain, and we’ve all seen plenty of peanut butter in our lives. Almonds are also made into marzipan, a sweetened paste popular in Europe for making pretty little confections. Leonardo da Vinci made sculptures of marzipan for the Milanese court of Ludovico Sforza and apparently “observed with pain that they gobbled up all the sculptures I give them, right to the last morsel.” I didn’t know “gobble” was a word in 1470!

Nut milks are popular these days and are especially helpful for those on a vegan diet, as they can be made into ice creams, sauces, soups, and more.

I don’t know anyone who is crazy about Brazil nuts; they always seem to be the last ones at the bottom of a mixed nut bowl. This is a shame because Brazil nuts contain the highest amount of selenium of any food. Cashew nuts are related to poison ivy, and that is why you’ve never seen them sold in the shell. Cashews and chestnuts are among the more starchy nuts, which makes them good thickeners.

Coconuts are the largest of nuts and are used in many tropical cuisines, either as the thick coconut milk or shredded and toasted. Coconut water is a popular (and somewhat expensive) fad right now, and while it does contain some potassium and electrolytes, it is not considered to be anything very special by nutritionists. Better than soda pop, but not much better than water for rehydration, unless you’re playing at Wimbledon or running a marathon.

Even macadamia nuts are no longer considered bad for you, eaten in moderation, of course! They are mostly monounsaturated fat, which can help reduce bad cholesterol, according to the American Heart Association.

Pecans and walnuts are a softer nut and contain unsaturated fatty acids. They are very perishable but can be kept frozen for a long time. Pecans and walnuts are great in salads and baked goods, and crushed pecans make a tasty coating for fish and chicken.

Remember when pistachios had a red dye on them that would stain your fingers? This is because they were harvested and sun-dried before hulling, which gave them a mottled red color. Manufacturers would dye them more so they’d have a uniform color. Now they are hulled before drying, and that’s why you don’t see those ghastly red ones anymore. Pistachios and pumpkin seeds are the only nuts that contain chlorophyll, which gives them their green hue.

Flaxseed is another super seed, very popular today. Once just used to make linen fiber, flaxseeds contain 30 percent oil and 30 percent protein, and the oil is more than half linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid.

Poppy seeds are related to the same plant that produces opium, and while we usually only see them on a seeded bagel, if you eat a piece of lemon poppy seed cake or other pastry filled with the seeds, you will test positive on a drug test. Have you ever noticed that some poppy seeds look blue? This is actually an optical illusion. They are brown but are covered with tiny crystals that create prisms.

Pumpkin seeds contain 35 percent protein and are popular for snacking, oils, and as a thickener for soups and stews. Sunflowers were originally only enjoyed as a decorative plant. They originated in the American Southwest and were taken to Europe around 1510. They started being grown as a crop in the 18th century and are now one of the top oil crops in the world. Sunflower seeds have a lot of phenolic antioxidants and vitamin E.

I love nuts and seeds and always have a pretty good variety around the house. When I don’t have time to eat or forget to, a handful of almonds and dried fruit are a pretty decent way to tide me over. I keep sunflowers for sprinkling on salads, cashews, naughty Marcona almonds, and pistachios for “company,” peanuts for everything, pine nuts for pesto and salads, and tahini for hummus.

For those who are not allergic, nuts are an excellent and delicious way to get many healthy vitamins and fats. Enjoy them without guilt, in moderation.

Click for recipes