Roasted Chestnuts with Olio Novello

Fresh Chestnut Season

Donald came home from the grocery store with a small bag of fresh chestnuts last week. I love chestnuts, and have fond memories of importing many jars of them for Williams-Sonoma in the '80s and '90s and having them warm from street vendors when traveling to Europe each October. Marron glacé from artisan producers are always a treat, too. 

Although he forgot to note the country of origin, what we know is that most fresh chestnuts sold in US grocery stores today are imported, often from Italy or East Asia.

That said, I understand that there are some American growers who are cultivating blight-resistant varieties or hybrids of chestnuts. If you're looking to support local agriculture, seeking out these domestically grown chestnuts is a great option. Do you have a resource? Let me know in the comments!

Roasted Chestnuts with Olio Novello

If you have access to fresh chestnuts, here is a simple appetizer or snack for this time of year. The result glistens under a generous douse of Lucero Olio Novello and sparkles from a twinkle of Jacobsen Flake Salt. 

• Preheat your oven to 400ºF
• Score the flat side of each chestnut with an "X" using a small paring knife.
• Roast for 20 minutes
• Let cool slightly, but while still warm pull off the shell, which will have drawn back, and remove any of the papery skin which may not come away with the shell.
• Re-warm briefly in the microwave before serving with fresh olive oil and flake salt. Add the salt at the very last minute as it will quickly melt into the other ingredients. We used Lucero Olio Novello and Jacobsen Flake Salt.

The American Chestnut Foundation and the Future

The story of the American chestnut is one of both loss and hope. Once a dominant tree in Eastern US forests, the chestnut provided valuable timber and nuts. Chuck Williams once shared an anecdote, telling me that the trees in the United States once grew so thickly that a squirrel could travel from Mississippi to Maine without touching the ground!

The chestnut blight of the early l20th century nearly wiped them out, however,  dedicated scientists and researchers are working to bring these trees back. The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) is a leading organization in this effort developing blight-resistant trees through various methods, including traditional breeding (crossing American chestnuts with resistant Asian varieties) and genetic engineering. Recent advancements include the development of transgenic American chestnuts with a gene that enhances blight resistance.

The trees are undergoing field trials and showing promising results. Perhaps we'll live to see the American chestnut restored to its former glory!