Beech Nuts

Beech nuts. I first encountered these little nuggets of goodness in the kitchens of Noma. We were using them on a dried scallop dish with biodynamic grains and watercress sauce. At the time, they weren't important to me. Nuts are nuts. Right? Who cares...

I was wrong. What's amazing about these guys is that you can find them everywhere. Even your own backyard. They're easy to shuck, and don't require any additional aging. Oh, and they're FREE. The flavor? Incomparable. Warm, toasted popcorn, sunflower seed, savory, buttery…

These particular beech nuts were found lying in the fertile soils (bright green moss) of Lucern, Switzerland. I hadn't planned on finding such treasures. So I was very happy when I spied them hidden under the dry autumn leaves. 

The beech nuts became the star of a very simple dessert dish that included tea poached pears, yogurt, and oats. They became the burst of flavor that moved the dish along. The raisins in the Raisin Bran if you will… 

What an exciting find. Hopefully I can get my hands on some more back in the States.

Taylor