The pistachio nut is the edible pale green seed of an Asian tree of the cashew family. The evergreen tree produces the pistachio, with small brownish-green flowers and oval reddish fruit. It is widely cultivated, especially around the Mediterranean and in the US.
Breakfast – as I have often mentioned – is elemental to my day. Putting on the nose bag this morning was an example. My traditional breakfast – in addition to 2 eggs fried over-easy with unsalted butter, avocado oil and Maldon salt, segments of a Mandarin orange, a bowl of steel cut oats and frozen fruit – included a modest bowl of pistachio nuts (in the shell) à côte. The Sacrament of Heaven! If there had been a box of pistachio nuts at hand I no doubt would still be at the trough.
The rapture of the pistachio nuts did not overtake me until I was on the road driving my car, windows down, sailing throughout the countryside in my customary circular route. Then the lingering savoury taste enveloped me with its perfection. To say there is a narcotic feature about the pistachio nuts is a stretch; however its remnant appeal was inarguable. There is something rudimentary about nuts of almost any description – but pistachio nuts are undoubtedly of a special order in the chain. Struggling to remove the sturdy shells is a nuisance; but the alternative risks abusing the pleasure of the salted roasted flavour. I have also uncovered the ideal tool to avoid having to use one’s thumbnails to extract the luscious green nut; viz., a small butterfly paper clamp.
Admittedly part of the euphoria of this morning’s outing is the prospect of repeated adventures. The roadways are inviting – clear and dry. Contemporaneously we’re learning of new restaurants, the latest – and the one we propose to visit tomorrow with my erstwhile physician and his lady – is the Black Tartan Kitchen in Carleton Place.
Having lived in this area for the last fifty years (since 1976) I am accustomed to hearing rave reviews about new local businesses. I expect tomorrow’s luncheon will provoke identical response. It will be a serious undertaking because the four of us at table are each culinary enthusiasts – and my partner, my erstwhile physician and his lady are superb chefs. Over the past 40 years the four of us have shared more meals than I can now recall, many at my erstwhile physician’s country estate in the Village of Ashton, some at our places in Almonte, some at the golf club, some very memorable meals on a mountaintop residence in Sardegna overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, others in the ByWard Market in Ottawa, still others in Sarasota overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.
Before I close this monologue I feel duty bound to mention one other nutty recollection – Virginia peanuts. I first saw them at Grace in the Kitchen on Bank Street, Ottawa. They are a serious notch above the Farmer’s Market raw sunflower seeds. Then there is the descent to the varieties of nutritious nut butters (cashew and almond among my favourites).
What is a Virginia Peanut?
Virginia peanut plants do not bear “true nuts,” such as those that grow overhead in trees. They are legumes, which produce edible seeds in pods underneath the ground, so planting and harvesting Virginia peanuts are easy tasks for the average gardener. Virginia peanut plants are high-yielding, and they produce larger seeds than other peanut types.
