Hackberry spoonbread, a sort of fallen souffle, is one of my favorite things to make with hackberries. The finished dish is a rich, custard-like brunch or dessert that tastes a bit like crust-less pumpkin pie. As I was working with the hackberries and trying to figure out what I could make with them, I ended…
Black Walnuts
Nettle Bread
A deep green nettle bread studded with nuts, along with the more crumbly, shortbread-style lembas bread are traditional travel foods wood elves have been making for a very long time. Both are useful, portable foods you can pack in a bag and take with you on a journey, or in my case, a fitting seasonal…
Guide to Black Walnuts
Like a lot of other people, I have memories of tripping and stepping on ugly, gooey black walnuts in the yard when I was growing up. They were a serious pain when I had to mow the lawn, and I thought they were weird, not food–no way they could actually be related to regular nuts…
Black Walnut-Maple Honey
I love old cookbooks. Recently For research on lamb and goat recipes for the farm I work with, I’ve been collecting old Scottish and Irish books, most from around the 1900’s, since I know they historically work with lots of lamb and small ruminants. Aside from all of the great recipes like hotch potch I…
Nocino, The Black Walnut Liquor
Before I knew a mushroom to pick, before I had ever considered clipping a leafy green to cook from a field, I knew I could pick black walnuts and make nocino. I don’t remember at exactly what time I picked it up, but it was early in my career while I was working at the…
Caramelized Pumpkin Bread with Wild Fruit, Maple Sugar and Black Walnuts
Recently I did a big tasting menu with a couple different desserts. The crowd favorite was this pumpkinbread, spread with butter, crusted with maple sugar, griddled and smothered with wild blueberries, candied plums, soft cheese and candied black walnuts. As pictured its a bit of a process, but doing a toned-down version would be a…
Wild Rice Crepes with Elderberry Syrup, Apples and Black Walnuts
Back at Lucia’s I used to come up with a different brunch every week, along with lunch, and the dinner menu. With such intense recipe generation, you’re bound to have a few hits and misses, and it can take some time to dial things in, especially if you’re working with new line cooks. Here and…
Flourless Chocolate-Black Walnut Torte
When I moved to the Twin Cities from Willmar Minnesota I remember my Grandpa took me to one of his favorite fancy restaurants called Luci, a little Italian place, and a venerated St Paul dining spot. Everything was great, but what I remember the most was their signature dessert, a flourless chocolate torte. I’d never…
Wood Parched Wild Rice, Black Walnuts, Wild Herbs and Green Garlic
Here’s another one of my favorite dishes that I developed for the dinner at Piney Hill this year for Slow Food Minnesota’s “Where the Wild Things Are Dinner” which showcases local, wild ingredients. I knew we needed some sort of starch to help complete our meal, and for a whole bunch of people it needed…
Quark-Lime Mousse, Black Walnut Praline, Currant Coulis
Out of the blue a few months ago, an old Italian chef I used to work for gave me a ring (I’ll call him Lorenzo). It had been years since we’d talked, and the last thing I remember was missing my last day of work locked up in a jail cell, which in hindsight, is…
Goat Milk Sorbet With Currants, Yarrow And Black Walnuts
I know a special woman that has trouble digesting cow dairy and gluten. I have a couple sweet tricks up my sleeve, but tossing out two of my favorite standby’s has made things a bit tricky-a good creative exercise. With the increasing skepticism of bovine dairy and gluten, you probably know someone with a dairy…
Young Nettles With Ramps And Black Walnut Oil
When I was picking ramps the other week, I made sure to grab a bunch of small nettles that were alongside where we parked. There is tons of Spring growth to pick from out there, but a young nettle is real a treat. They’re at their very best when small, tender and sweet. They have…
The Artist’s Dinner: A Tribute to Jack Wright.
I had a really fun experience a while back. Every year the Minneapolis Institute of Art comes in for a dinner, and it’s a special one. Usually for private dining parties and chef’s tables we will compose individual menus according to the season and what is on hand, taking into account various diet restrictions, allergies…