Weeknight mean easy suppers I can put together with little fuss. Chicken curry is my favorite (as well as Spanish-style arroz con pollo, rice and chicken.) During green almond season, the dish gets an added surprise, cooked green almonds Chicken curry with green almonds, carrots and turnips has the contrasts of textures and tastes that makes dinner memorable. The chicken and rice are rich flavors balanced by the sweetness of the carrots, raisins and turnips.
Easy Ways with Green Almonds
Spring means green almonds. Now is the time to enjoy this culinary novelty raw or cooked, in salads, pasta, stews and pickles. I have been playing around with green almonds for decades. (Please read more about green almonds here.) Here’s a quick refresher and some easy ways with green almonds. Right after almond trees bloom in February and March, their small green buds form. From March through May, the buds grow into plump green pods.
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Monday, August 09
Agro Dolce Green Olive and Eggplant Caponata
I can’t make caponata, the Sicilian eggplant condiment, like Enza Causa-Santagata does. But I can try. This Agro Dolce Green Olive and Eggplant Caponata is my homage to Enza’s succulent version. It’s something to serve as a primo or first course or as a condiment with grilled fish or poultry. It makes a perfect topping for bruschetta, grilled bread, too. Enza comes from Sicily but has lived here forever; she keeps our local post office
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Thursday, May 13
Green Almond Relish
During the brief season when green almonds are available, I look for as many ways to use them as I can. Most often they are eaten fresh as a snack in countries where almond trees grow. But I’ve rediscovered old ways of serving them (cooked in stews) and new ways to eat them raw. This Green Almond Relish adds a sour crunchy note to cooked vegetable salads such as the beet salad pictured here. Use
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Wednesday, May 12
Asparagus, Whipped Feta, Poached Egg with Green Almonds and Almond Crumble
Green almond season has me thinking of ways to use this symbolic food, the first fresh green thing to appear in many orchards. This Asparagus, Whipped Feta, Poached Egg with Green Almonds and Almond Crumble is exactly what we like to eat right now. Asparagus are plentiful. David Brown’s chickens are back to laying their fabulous eggs. And crisp sour green almonds add a nice fresh crunch. In early spring, in regions where almond trees
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Wednesday, April 22
Veal Marengo with Green Almonds
Green almond season has me thinking of ways to use this symbolic food, the first fresh green thing to appear in many orchards. Seeing veal in the local store gave me the idea to revisit an old chestnut, Veal Marengo. It is a classic preparation for an elegant yet homey dish of veal stewed with tomatoes and mushrooms. Adding green almonds proved to be a lucky hunch. When cooked, the green almonds taste like cooked
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Thursday, May 03
Jambon de Bayonne
You adore prosciutto di Parma. You’ve tasted jamón Iberico. But have you heard of French jambon de Bayonne? It makes up the third star in the trinity of exquisite single-origin dry-cured hams from Europe. Christine Chesanek, owner of Fromage Fine Foods in Old Saybrook, Connecticut brought some into her shop for me. (She sliced the ham for the plate of jambon de Bayonne pictured here into translucent pieces.) It is made by Delpeyrat, which has been
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Tuesday, February 27
Stewed Lamb Shoulder, Green Almonds and Mint
Persian cooking fascinates me. It’s a cuisine that mixes sour, sweet and savory. Persian flavors make me think of cooking lamb and fresh green almonds. This recipe for Stewed Lamb Shoulder, Green Almonds and Mint is my take on a lamb koresht or stew. Jump to Recipe To prepare the stew, I use meaty lamb shoulder chops. This cut is both flavorful and lean. Don’t let the bones bother you. Cut what large chunks of
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Thursday, February 15
Olive Oil Poached Green Almonds with Ras el Hanout
In early spring, in regions where almond trees grow – Turkey, Israel, Iran, North Africa and the Middle East – you’ll find green almonds on the menu. The fuzzy pods symbolize rebirth, a sour crunchy treat to welcome spring. During the brief stage when immature almonds are tender and green, they are eaten whole dipped in salt. Or sliced thin and scattered over salads and fish dishes. Green almonds can also be cooked as in
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Wednesday, April 29
Digestivo Mandorlato – Priscilla’s Green Almond Liqueur
The Mediterranean region provides inspiration for many of the things I make with almonds. In that almond-growing region, there is a tradition of eating immature fruits and nuts that we don’t hear too much about in the U.S. let alone the Northeast where I live. (Although Turkeywood Farms in Mystic, CT is distilling shagbark hickory to make a sweet syrup I love.) This is my signature spirit, Digestivo Mandorlato – Priscilla’s Green Almond Liqueur Think of
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"Let no man fancy he knows how to dine Till he has learnt how taste and taste combine."
-Horace, Satires, 2.4They're here!
