From Jeff Cox

For millennia, Native Americans relied on pine nuts (Pinus edulis) as a concentrated source of protein-rich food. Then in the 1970s, the Federal Government embarked on a program to “help the Indians” by bulldozing thousands of acres of nut-bearing pinyon pines and running cattle on the cleared land. This was to give the Native Americans a source of protein. Of course, the amount of protein per acre in the cattle didn’t approach what could be harvested from the pinyon pines. And the pines didn’t have to be herded and branded and protected and cared for by veterinarians.

From where I live, it’s just an hour’s drive to some nearby mountains where pinyon pines grow, and it’s fun to drive up there in the fall to gather the big cones and retrieve the small nuts that are about half the size of the nail on your little finger—if that. But the nuts are fresh-tasting, with the sweet, slightly resinous flavor that makes them unique. As far as I know, all commercial seeds of P. edulis are harvested from the wild, so spray residues and the depredations of commercial agriculture are not a problem.

Occasionally you’ll see elongated pine nuts, usually shelled out, called pignolas. These are imported from the Mediterranean region and are seeds of Pinus pinea, where they’ve been used since Biblical times. Roman soldiers carried them north on their forays into northern Europe and the British Isles.

Both native North American pinyon pine nuts and pignolas need to be sampled before purchase, for pine nuts contain between 48 and 68 percent unsaturated fat (as well as 12 to 30 percent protein) and this oil rather rapidly turns rancid. Rancid pine nuts acquire an unpleasant musty, dirty flavor, while fresh ones have a clean, bright, sweet flavor.

Pine nuts have myriad uses—in salads, crushed as a topping for baked fish, used in a home-made trail mix, and as pesto. But don’t mix them into your polenta. The oil will prevent the polenta from setting up after it’s turned out on a plate and you’ll end up with a plateful of runny goo. (I learned the hard way.)

With a good supply, you can make your own pesto and keep it in a closed container in the freezer, where it will keep indefinitely. A delicious and quick dinner then becomes as easy as boiling up the organic whole wheat capellini, thawing a blunk of pesto just until warm in the microwave (about 30 seconds), pouring the pesto on the pasta, and loving it. You’ll find lots of other uses for this pesto, including as a spread on tomato and mozzarella sandwiches, to stuff mushroom caps before baking, instead of tomato sauce on pizzas (with extra diced garlic), and as a dressing for steamed broccoli.

Pine nuts are incredibly versatile as well as wholesome. They can be used ground or whole with savory dishes like meats, fish, and game, with sweet dishes like cakes, puddings, and all kinds of desserts and sweetmeats, in stuffings, with vegetables, in sauces, and in soups.

Organic Pesto Recipe

When made from fresh, sweet pine nuts that you’ve shelled out (I know it’s tedious, but once shelled, pine nuts soon lose their resinous charm), pesto sounds a flavor harmony with basil that defines the taste of northern Italy. The better the ingredients you use, the finer the pesto. Here’s a tip: for a super pesto, place one or two canned anchovy filets in the hot oil as the pine nuts are cooking, and smush them until they dissolve in the oil. Yum—if you like anchovies.

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup fresh-shelled pine nuts
4 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
4 large peeled garlic cloves
2 cups de-stemmed fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
1 cup de-stemmed Italian flatleaf parsley leaves
1 Tbl. de-stemmed fresh oregano
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

1. Place the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, then add the pine nuts. Shake the skillet occasionally every minute or so for about seven minutes, until the pine nuts brown slightly. Don’t let them get too dark or burn or they’ll be bitter.

2. As the pine nuts are cooking, grate the Parmigiano-Reggiano into a bowl.

3. Remove the pine nut skillet from the fire when the nuts are light brown and set aside to cool slightly. Finely dice the peeled garlic cloves.

4. Place the grated cheese, garlic, basil, parsley, and oregano in a blender or food processor. Add the oil and pine nuts, and salt and pepper. Blend or process for about a minute, until well mixed but not whipped to a smooth puree. It should have some texture.

5. Spoon into a freezer container with a tight lid and freeze. Makes about a cup and a half.
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See also Jeff’s Organics Can Slow Global Warming
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Jeff Cox is author of The Organic Cook’s Bible and The Organic Food Shopper’s Guide, and numerous other cooking, gardening, and wine books, and lives in Sonoma County, California.
Image Credit: © Mariano Heluani | Dreamstime.com
OrganicToBe.org | OrganicToGo.com
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