Black Walnuts offer a Delicious Ingredient!

by Kiah Easton

Harvesting nuts from native walnut trees and planting more trees is an excellent way to offset carbon emission while also providing a healthy and profitable crop. As discussed in past Staple Pulse publications, the agroforestry movement combines perennial shrubs, trees into other crops to create carbon sequestration while producing food. Among the leaders in Agroforestry in our region are The Nutty Buddy Collective, The Acornucopia Project, The Southern Ohio Chestnut Company and Route 9 Chestnut Cooperative.

Black Walnut Pate Recipe

This Walnut Pate from Very Vegan Gal, is just one of many ways walnuts can be used to create great main dishes!

Ingredients

½ lb. maitake mushroom

½ lb. shiitake mushroom

½ medium-sized onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 cup shelled black walnuts

1 tbps. coconut oil

1 tbps. nutritional yeast

¼ cup fresh parsley, loosely packed

2 tsp. soy sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Wash and roughly chop/tear the mushrooms and onion, and place them, along with the garlic cloves, on a large baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat. Roast for 15 minutes, flip them over and roast for another 15.

Heat a small skillet and add the black walnuts. Toast for several minutes, until they become fragrant, but make sure to stir frequently so they do not burn.

Add the roasted mushrooms, garlic, and onions to your food processor, along with the remaining ingredients (black walnuts, coconut oil, nutritional yeast, parsley, soy sauce and salt and pepper). Process until completely smooth, and transfer into a container. Allow to set in the fridge, and serve with bread or crackers.