An Autumn Series - Walnut Gathering

Walnut gathering has been a wonderful family tradition of ours since I can remember.

My Nanna was the driving force behind our family's gathering outings.  She had this natural instinct for foraging any kind of food straight from nature's table.  Nuts, mushrooms, mussels, fruit and whitebait were her favourites.

As a child I would go with my brothers, parents and grand-parents to a little known reserve, and together as a family we would gather.

I feel so proud to continue this tradition with our family.  Today saw my brother, my parents, my honey and our little girl all helping out.  Such an enjoyable, relaxed and meditative process - filling baskets with nutrient rich, organic, free, goodness which will help to nourish us during the winter.

Nuts are laid out into trays, maturing, drying, eradicating any bitterness. 

Little hands love to help with this.  Moving piles of nuts from baskets to trays (and back again at one point) had her happily and purposefully entertained for ages.  I love the delight in her eyes when she knows she is helping and feels part of something.  I love that it brings us all together.

We find a wheelbarrow ideal for ease of moving during the drying process.  Our bounty is wheeled out to soak up the sun then stored safely undercover at night or a chance of rain.

Eagerly I await the day when they are ready for consuming.  Packed full of incredible goodness, rich in protein, high in fibre and full of essential amino acids.

So what to do with all these nuts?

I am planning to make this walnut pesto for a start...
Do you have any great walnut recipes you would like to share?   We would love a few new ones :)

xx

PS:  You still have some time to enter the giveaway for my Mr Bear Branches Winter Coat right here!