Recipes

Not just for roasting
Roasted chestnuts might be tasty, but this nut also makes a delicious addition to many recipes

by Heather Berry

Many people might think chestnuts are only good for “roasting over an open fire” around the holidays, but they’d be wrong. While they’re a delicious beginning to the cold-weather months, chestnuts are harvested in late September through early October in Missouri. They make a delicious addition to many recipes.
While referred to as nuts, the meat inside a chestnut is soft and starchy, making them more akin to a grain than a crunchy nut. It’s probably one of the only nuts that is often treated like a vegetable because of its starch content. Don’t confuse chestnuts with water chestnuts — they come from completely different plants.
Nutrition-wise, chestnuts, or “the unNut” as they’re often dubbed, are nearly fat and carb-free. They’re also high in fiber, cholesterol-free and contain as much vitamin C as an equal weight of lemons.
The University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry hosts the Missouri Chestnut Roast each October. This year, the free event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Oct. 16, in New Franklin, north of Boonville. For more information, contact Julie Rhoads at rhoadsj@missouri.edu
or 573-882-3234, or via their website at www.centerforagroforestry.org.

September 2010 Recipes

Chestnut Harvest Soup • Chestnut Corn Bread
• Chestnut Risotto • Chocolate Chestnut Cake