I set off on the long walk for walnuts yesterday afternoon.
It lasts from now to early November and involves a lot of bending down.
Good exercise–and usually good results.
We still over two full boxes left from last year’s harvest. The slim pickin’s from yesterday–just under a kilo–are on the slatted table drying out. And are clearly a subject for conversation!
“I know, but listen–have you heard about…?”
The modest almond and its benefits to health have been in the news.
One of the studies, published in the journal Metabolism, showed that consuming an ounce of almonds straight before eating a high-starch meal brought a 30 per cent reduction in post-meal glucose levels for patients with type 2 diabetes….”
” Almonds are my prefered nut at the moment–roasted with a little salt. Pistachios preceded them until my nails started to split with opening them. Both have good health properties. Eaten in moderation, one doesn’t have to feel guilty about snacking.
Home-roasted almonds
About 8oz/250gm almonds
1 teaspoon olive oil
fine salt
- heat the oven to 180C/375F
- Put the almonds in a bowl and tip the teaspoon of oil over them.
- Turn them over in the oil until they are well covered.
- Add a couple of sprinklings of salt and flip them over and over until the salt is well distributed.
- Spread the nuts on a shallow baking tray and roast in the middle of the oven for about 10 minutes. There’s no pain in testing them for doneness–except perhaps briefly to the fingers!
Robin Ellis 