We are all finished singing about chestnuts roasting on an open fire, but this December I did enjoy roasting some chestnuts I bought at the Moscow Food Coop.
So beautiful and shiny! Thanks to the infographic created by Alex Boake I was easily on my way.
It is in fact as easy as the infographic suggests. Chestnuts have a very sweet flavor the texture is creamy and a bit chalky at the same time. I used them as a topping on a squash soup. So many great recipes (like glazed chestnuts) to explore another day.
Did you know that chestnut blight nearly wiped out all American Chestnut trees?
Here is an interesting article from 2011 about the comeback of the nearly extinct American Chestnut and how Idaho farmers play a role in the comeback:
The Once-Blighted American Chestnut Makes a Comeback
Once a stately member of the Eastern hardwood forest ecosystem, up to 4 billion American chestnut trees fell victim to a blight during the 1930s and 1940s, virtually scouring the species from its native habitat.
Find Chestnut Growers in the PNW
Find out more about the chestnut growers in the Northwest at Northwest Chestnut Growers
Jessie Hunter, PCWFC contributer