Unexpected intrigue

As the fresh-crop walnut season crests, those bins and baskets filled with glorious piles of satin-shelled, wrinkly brown nuts evoke all sorts of associations for Southern Californians.

For some of us, they’re a reminder of suburban childhoods, when the many local groves and homestead plantings meant autumn fun as we shook down the green-husked nuts or foraged among fallen leaves for still-yummy leftovers. For others, they bring to mind the cuisines of far-away homelands in the Mediterranean or the upcoming joys of holiday baking. And for outdoors lovers, they’re a domesticated reminder of a beautiful gray-barked native tree that still graces many a hiking trail and wildland area.

So it makes sense to enjoy the high-harvest flavors in all sorts of ways. We’re talking, after all, about a nut with a fascinating interplay of opposites: the slight bitterness of the tannins in the pellicle (or thin skin) against the sweet nut meat; the ethereal fragrance versus the earthy crunch.

For creamy, sweet, fresh-nut tastes, choose walnuts in the shell and crack and eat them a few at a time with juicy apples and cheese; the accompaniments cut the pucker. Toast shelled halves (in the oven or a dry skillet) to scatter on salads or to use in an essence-of-autumn dessert of honey-poached pear with Greek yogurt and walnuts. If a recipe calls for grinding or chopping nuts, begin with a package of smaller pieces -- they’re less expensive and more convenient.

Some dishes, such as kebabs with muhammara sauce (a condiment of ground walnuts, roasted red peppers and pomegranate molasses) call for the walnut pieces to be toasted before being added to the other ingredients. For cookies and cakes, you’ll often want to add the walnuts untoasted; they’ll take on that roasty flavor as they cook.

A rich but amazingly light cake with a warm brown color more often seen in Renaissance paintings than on the kitchen counter is made using freshly ground walnut meal in place of flour. Grind the nuts just before using to capture the essential oils. And for the best texture, be sure to beat the egg yolks until they’re pale yellow and thick enough to form a ribbon when poured from a spoon; likewise beat the whites until they form stiff peaks so as to give the cake structure.

It’s sometimes surprising how different pairings of ingredients bring out the walnut’s different characteristics. For example, the touch of spice brought in by adding peppercorns to the poaching liquid for the pears works with the walnuts to liven up the sweet dish the same way a wise-cracking friend can spark your own wit. The meatiness of the ground walnuts in the muhammara sauce is focused by the puréed red peppers and garlic, almost in the way of a classic meat-tomato sauce. And a warm touch of sherry in the whipped cream that accompanies the cake brings a burnished finish to the dessert.

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susan.latempa@latimes.com

donna.deane@latimes.com

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Honey-poached pear with Greek yogurt and toasted walnuts

Total time: 50 minutes, plus cooling time

Servings: 4

Note: Greek honey such as Attiki honey goes especially well with Greek yogurt, but you can use any herbal or floral honey. Attiki honey can be purchased online at www.greekshops.com or at Greekshops.com, 2665 30th St., Suite 103, Santa Monica.

1/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons honey, divided

2 cups sugar

1/2 slice lemon

3 black peppercorns

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

2 large Bartlett pears

1/2 lemon

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces

1/2 teaspoon melted butter

Fleur de sel

1. Combine 4 cups water, one-fourth cup of the honey, the sugar, lemon slice and peppercorns in a large saucepan. Using a knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the mixture. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer 10 minutes to blend the flavors.

2. Add the pears and simmer until they are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and lift the pears into a glass bowl, then pour over the juices. Let cool to warm. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.

3. When you are ready to serve, remove the peel and stem from the pears. Halve each pear lengthwise and remove any seeds, if necessary. Cut each pear half into 4 wedges.

4. Arrange two pear wedges on a plate and squeeze a few drops of lemon juice over them. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the yogurt on top. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the honey over the yogurt and around the pears on the plate. Repeat with the three remaining plates. Toss the toasted walnuts with the melted butter and a light sprinkling of fleur de sel, then scatter the walnuts evenly over the plates. Serve immediately.

Each serving: 449 calories; 5 grams protein; 84 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 13 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 6 mg. cholesterol; 11 mg. sodium.

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Walnut cake

Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Servings: 12

3/4 pound walnuts, about 3 cups

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

8 eggs, separated

1 cup sugar, divided

Zest of 1 orange

1 cup whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks

2 teaspoons oloroso sherry

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

1. Lightly butter a 10-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and lightly butter the paper. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grind the walnuts in a food processor until fine. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the nuts to sprinkle over the top of the cake. Combine the flour and baking powder and stir into the remaining walnuts until evenly mixed.

3. Beat the egg yolks until well-blended, then gradually beat in ½ cup of the sugar. Continue beating until the mixture is light and lemon-colored and the eggs form a ribbon when dropped from a spoon. Stir in the orange zest. Stir in the ground walnut mixture.

4. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining ½ cup sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold a large spoonful of the beaten egg whites into the walnut mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

5. Spoon the cake batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle the reserved 2 tablespoons walnuts over it. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until puffed and golden. Remove to wire rack to cool to warm. As cake cools, it will settle.

6. Combine whipped cream and oloroso sherry. Sift the powdered sugar through a small strainer into the whipped cream and stir until blended.

7. Serve a slice of cake with a dollop of oloroso whipped cream.

Each serving: 372 calories; 9 grams protein; 22 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 29 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 168 mg. cholesterol; 75 mg. sodium.

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Muhammara

Total time: 35 minutes

Servings: Makes 2 1/3 cups

Note: Pomegranate molasses is available at well-stocked supermarkets and Middle Eastern markets. Muhammara is great served with roasted or grilled meat, such as lamb kebabs, and pita bread.

3 large red bell peppers

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses

1 1/2 cups toasted walnuts

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or to taste

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1. Roast the red peppers on a rack over the burner on a gas stove or on a grill until blackened and blistered all over, about 10 minutes. Once they are roasted remove them from the rack to a paper bag and let stand until they are cool enough to handle.

2. Remove all the charred skin from the peppers, and remove the stems and seeds.

3. Combine roasted peppers, garlic, crushed cumin seeds, lemon juice and pomegranate molasses in a food processor and process until almost smooth. Add the walnuts and bread crumbs and process until chunky smooth.

4. Add the salt, Aleppo pepper and olive oil and process just until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. It can be refrigerated for up to three days.

Each one-fourth cup: 205 calories; 4 grams protein; 10 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 18 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 290 mg. sodium.