We experimented with chestnuts tonight.

Here’s the best way to cook/peel them. Slice them along the 2 edges abutting the little “peak” instead of cutting one side with an X or cutting them in half. Place 8 sliced chestnuts on a double layer of paper towels in the microwave. Cook for 2 minutes. Peel them while warm. Easy as pie.

Microwaving made the meat a bit firm, as roasting does. And it retained a
sweetness. It didn’t break up, as boiling can cause it to do.

We also tried microwaving in a bowl with the cut sides down in a bit of water.
Bad idea. The chestnuts lost their sweetness and weren’t as pretty colored.

The Lunardi’s price is the best I’ve seen. Look for the biggest chestnuts (more
meat for the same amount of work), and beware of soft nuts that give. Beware,
too, if a nut looks moldy. We had some moldy ones.

We used an exacto knife to do the slicing. Paul can slice to the proper depth
to slice past the inner skin. Then the shell and skin both peel right off.
Slicing a bit deeper is better than shallow.

–jacque

Chive Blossoms are my edible find this spring. They have a light, wonderfully oniony flavor. It seems like I’ve been eating them with almost everything - on salads, with goat cheese, sprinkled on roasted veggies, hot risotto, and more.

For eating, pick fat, fresh blossoms that have not started drying out. You’ll note that each flower “ball” is actually made up of many smaller blossoms. Hold the base of the ball firmly between your fingers in one hand, then grasp the top of the ball with the fingers of your other hand. Gently pull up to destem into individual florets. Disgard the stem and sprinkle the florets as desired.

Chives are quite easy to grow fresh if you have a sunny spot in your yard. It’s easiest to start with little plants, but you can also scatter the seeds in the spring. Once established, they will continue to grow from year to year in mild climates like mine. When they get wilty, just give them a haircut and they’ll come right back crisp and green quickly when the weather is right.

I planted our chives along the borders of each of my raised beds when we first moved into our house in 2000 and they have been growing in prolific abundance ever since. Each spring and fall I’m innundated with blossoms that eventually dry into little balls full of black seeds. Those that aren’t consumed are left to dry and if I’m feeling industrious, I’ll harvest them to give away to friends.