Nutty Days

You’ve all heard the old gag about California: When God created the world, he tilted the earth and all the nuts rolled here. This year, it’s no joke.

Harvests of the state’s two main nut crops--almonds and walnuts--are predicted to be all-time records. There will be roughly 830 million pounds of almonds, a 60% increase over last year. The walnut harvest is predicted to be about 560 million pounds, a jump of about 23%.

As a result of those increases, wholesale prices are the lowest in years. Though it is difficult to predict how much of these savings will be passed on to the consumer, this is definitely the year to go nuts with your fall baking.

Most of this year’s jump in nut production is because of favorable growing weather. After last year’s disastrous combination of freeze and early spring chill, 1999 was all anyone could have hoped for. Happy with a long summer buildup to harvest, growers say quality is as good as they can remember.

“This is my 13th season doing walnuts, and this is far and away the best quality I can remember,” says Dennis Balint, executive director of the Walnut Marketing Board, a trade group of California growers and processors.

Walnuts and almonds are primarily grown in the great central valleys, from just south of Bakersfield to north of Redding.

They ripen on the tree, wrapped in thick, fruit-like hulls (almonds and walnuts are closely related to apricots and peaches). When ripe, they are shaken from the tree onto the ground. They are then raked up, hulled and sorted. Before being sold, walnuts are dried in hot-air tanks and then scrubbed to clean off any lingering black staining from the hull.

Only a small portion--less than 5%--of the almond crop winds up on store shelves. Most walnuts go to “industrial” uses--they are turned over to candy or cereal makers, for example, or made into oil or paste. You can buy raw almonds with their skins on, blanched and peeled, cut into sticks or thinly sliced and ground.

Walnuts aren’t as snack-prone. Still, only 40% to 45% of walnuts are sold raw. Because they are trickier to shell and clean, walnuts are usually sold in pieces.

Although many types of walnuts go for processing, most of the walnuts that are used raw are of the venerable Hartley variety. Traditionally, they are regarded as the finest tasting. Most almonds you’ll find are the large Nonpareil variety.

Besides the high quality brought about by good weather, there is another reason for this year’s big harvests: exuberance among the state’s nut growers--and it’s not entirely irrational, it turns out. Acreage planted with nut trees has been steadily increasing over the last decade, particularly for almonds.

All up and down the state, you can find new groves as farmers have fled riskier crops for the more reliable sales of nuts.

“Almonds have been profitable for several years while other commodities weren’t,” says Rodger Wasson, president of the Almond Board of California trade group. “With agricultural land getting more expensive, people are looking for higher-value crops to justify some of the costs of the land.

“If you look at where the new production is coming from, you find industries that have gone through problems. Some of the recent growth has come from former cotton farmers in the south end of the valley who’ve had some really bad years.”

Typically, it takes at least three years for a nut orchard to begin commercial production after being planted and five years before it reaches its full production. As a result of all this new planting, harvests should continue to increase over the next few years. Barring weather disasters--always a risky business in California--this year’s record will probably be broken next year, and that one could fall the year after that as well.

In fact, as reported in the Times business section Saturday, almond growers are facing a glut the likes of which they’ve never seen. One estimate has as many as 100,000 more acres of orchards coming on line in the next few years.

One of the reasons almond farmers have done so well is that they’ve had remarkable success marketing their product at home and abroad.

In the United States, almonds have grown far beyond their traditional uses in chocolate and candy making. Breakfast cereals have been one big boom; almonds are now found in 14% of America’s cereal brands, Wasson says. Commercial baking is another big area, thanks particularly to the biscotti craze.

Internationally, almonds have found favor as well. California grows about 75% of the world’s supply. They are sold not only in the traditional almond-eating areas of Europe and the Middle East but in Asia.

“If you look back a decade ago, there was very little of our production that went to Asia,” Wasson says. “Now Japan is our second-leading consumer of almonds.

“As these markets have developed as consumer markets, they eat more almonds. Right now in Asia, for example, the hot thing is traditional European-style baked goods. In Shanghai and Beijing, there is a proliferation of European-style, really high-end bakeries.”

As the Asians are discovering almond-based sweets, Europeans are finding savory uses. “On a very broad basis, we’re finding the world is becoming more like each other,” Wasson says.

In other words, we’re all going nuts.

Greek Walnut Cake

Active Work Time: 35 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Toasted walnuts give rich flavor to this cake, which is soaked with a warm honey-orange syrup after it’s baked. If you chop the nuts in a food processor, use brief pulses so that the nuts do not become walnut butter. This recipe is from “Good Housekeeping Baking” (Hearst Books, 1999).

CAKE

1 cup walnuts

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking power

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

1 cup sugar

6 large eggs

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1 (8-ounce) container plain low-fat yogurt

* Spread nuts on baking sheet and toast at 350 degrees until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly then finely chop.

* Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves in large bowl. Set aside.

* Beat butter and sugar in large bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in orange zest. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture alternately with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in walnuts.

* Spoon batter into greased 13x9-inch baking pan and smooth with rubber spatula. Bake at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack.

SYRUP

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey

3/4 cup water

Grated zest of 1 orange

* Stir together sugar, honey, water and orange zest in 1-quart saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Simmer 5 minutes.

* Spoon lukewarm syrup over cake. Cool before slicing.

16 servings. Each serving: 365 calories; 266 mg sodium; 111 mg cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 47 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.39 gram fiber.

Frozen Nougat Souffle

Active Work Time: 45 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 10 minutes plus 8 hours standing time and 8 hours freezing time

If you think about how important nougat is to the flavor of some of your favorite candy bars, you will appreciate how delicious this souffle is. The toasted almonds add some crunch to every bite, and the raisins, which should be soaked in the rum for at least eight hours, add some flavor spike as well. If you don’t care for raisins, dried apricots work well too. This can be served with raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries. From “Simply Sensational Desserts” by Francois Payard (Broadway Books, 1999.)

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark rum

5 cups blanched sliced almonds

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon powdered sugar

10 egg whites, at room temperature

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon honey

2 1/2 cups whipping cream

* Combine raisins and rum in small airtight container and let stand at least 8 hours or overnight.

* Toss almonds and corn syrup in medium bowl until almonds are coated. Spread almonds in even layer on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sift powdered sugar through fine-mesh sieve over nuts.

* Bake at 325 degrees until light brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove nuts from oven and allow to cool completely on baking sheet.

* Cut 8 (12x5-inch) strips of foil. Fold strips lengthwise in half. Wrap 1 strip around each of 8 (4-ounce) ramekins; foil collars should extend about 1 inch above rims. Secure collars with tape.

* Transfer cooled almonds to medium bowl and stir with wooden spoon to break up large nut clusters; set aside. Drain raisins and set aside.

* In bowl of electric mixer, beat egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy. Beat in cream of tartar. Meanwhile, combine granulated sugar, water and honey in small saucepan and cook over high heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Cook without stirring until mixture reaches 243 degrees on candy thermometer, 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and, with mixer on, pour hot syrup over whites, being careful to avoid beater. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until whites form stiff peaks and are almost cool, 6 to 8 minutes.

* In another mixer bowl, beat cream on high speed to form soft peaks, 3 to 4 minutes.

* Using large rubber spatula, fold scoop of beaten egg whites into whipped cream. Gently fold in remaining whites, then fold in raisins and almonds.

* Spoon souffle mixture into ramekins, filling them to top of collars. Freeze souffles at least 8 hours, or overnight. Remove collars just before serving.

8 servings. Each serving: 966 calories; 127 mg sodium; 102 mg cholesterol; 75 grams fat; 54 grams carbohydrates; 25 grams protein; 2.21 grams fiber.

Walnut Raisin Pie

Active Work Time: 40 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

“I’ve been fond of raisin pie since my early childhood, but it wasn’t until I had a slice of a raisin pie made with walnuts in the Fredericksburg area of the Texas Hill Country that I knew what my mother’s raisin pie recipe was lacking,” writes David Lebovitz in “Room for Dessert,” (Harper Collins, 1999.) “Raisins and walnuts are fine by themselves, but together, they are a taste from heaven.”

PIE SHELL

1 1/3 cups unbleached flour, plus more for rolling

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, chilled and cut into bits

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

* In food processor or large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/3 cups flour and salt. Add bits of butter and process until mixture forms fine crumbs, or cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives. With motor running, add vinegar and 3 tablespoons water. (If mixing by hand, sprinkle on vinegar and 3 tablespoons water, tossing mixture with fork.) Process until mixture masses together, adding last tablespoon water if needed.

* Gather dough into ball, then flatten into disc between 2 pieces of wax paper. Refrigerate 30 minutes. On floured work surface, roll out dough into thin round to fit 9-inch pie plate. Trim and crimp edges.

ASSEMBLY

1 cup raisins

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

5 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground mace

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons half and half

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

* Spread raisins and walnuts evenly in bottom of unbaked pie shell.

* In medium bowl, whisk eggs until light and lemon-colored. Whisk in sugar, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and mace. Stir in lemon juice, half and half and lemon zest. Pour mixture over raisins and walnuts. Bake at 350 degrees until tester inserted in center comes out clean and pie is firm in center and filling and crust are lightly browned, 40 minutes.

* Cool on rack before cutting into wedges. Serve warm.

8 servings. Each serving: 530 calories; 311 mg sodium; 166 mg cholesterol; 25 grams fat; 72 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 1.01 grams fiber.

Pistachio and Cardamom Cake With Apricots Poached in Sauternes

Active Work Time: 40 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

From “Great Desserts of the American West” by Frances Towner Giedt (Lone Star Books, 1999).

APRICOTS

1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 vanilla bean, split

1/2 cup French Sauternes or similar dessert wine

4 apricots or 1/2 pound dried apricots, cut in half and pits removed if fresh

* Bring water and sugar to boil in medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat. Add vanilla bean and Sauternes and reduce heat to medium-low so syrup simmers.

* Add apricots to syrup and poach until apricots soften, about 10 minutes. (If using dried apricots, poach until tender, 30 to 45 minutes.)

* Remove from heat and let stand until cake is almost ready to serve. (Apricots can be poached several days in advance; the longer they stand in syrup, the more intense their flavor.)

TOPPING

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 cup sliced almonds, preferably unblanched

* Melt butter in 9-inch round or square cake pan. Let cool briefly. Sprinkle sugar evenly over butter, then add sliced almonds, tilting and shaking pan to distribute evenly. Set aside.

ASSEMBLY

2 teaspoons cardamom seeds

3/4 cup raw unsalted pistachios, shelled

1 cup flour

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon baking powder

Dash salt

* Toast cardamom seeds in small dry skillet over low heat until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and grind. Set aside.

* In food processor, pulverize pistachios with 1/4 cup flour as finely as possible.

* Beat together butter and sugar using electric mixer until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl once or twice.

* Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating slowly and stopping mixer to scrape down any unincorporated batter. After eggs have been added, batter may look curdled; this is normal.

* Sift together 3/4 cup flour, baking powder and salt and stir into batter. Mix in pistachio-flour mixture and cardamom.

* Transfer batter to prepared cake pan by making 4 or 5 mounds of batter on top of almonds. Carefully spread batter into even layer, disturbing almond-sugar topping as little as possible.

* Bake at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 15 to 30 minutes.

* While cake cools, remove apricots from liquid. Heat liquid over medium heat and cook until liquid is reduced by half and is thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes.

* Use knife to loosen sides of cake from pan. Invert serving plate over cake pan, then flip both over. If necessary, shake gently or tap upturned bottom of cake pan to release cake. Serve with poached apricots and their syrup.

10 to 12 servings. Each of 12 servings: 409 calories; 173 mg sodium; 79 mg cholesterol; 20 grams fat; 53 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 1.16 grams fiber.

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Storing Nuts

Nuts are very high in oil; walnuts, for example, are up to 70% oil. Oil goes rancid if it’s not stored properly. Because nuts are usually used sporadically, that can create big problems.

Be sure to taste nuts before you add them to a recipe. In fact, because nuts are commonly stored for extended periods before being sold, it’s not a bad idea to taste them before you buy them. If that’s not possible, taste them as soon as you’ve left the store and take them back if they have an off flavor.

If you find a good deal on nuts and decide to stock up, you’ll want to store them correctly. At home, nuts should always be kept in the freezer. Place them in a freezer-weight sealable plastic bag and squeeze out as much of the air as possible. Stored this way, they will last at least a year.

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On the cover in nuts photograph: Plate from Salutations Home stores, Pasadena and Brentwood.