Seasonal Pantry: Chestnuts are a talisman of fall

On the first Sunday morning in November, as a soft rain fell on shoppers and vendors at the Sebastopol Farmers Market, I spotted a favorite talisman of the season: Chestnuts.

Jim McCrumb and his partner Dave Passmore, who founded Sonoma Coast Organic Produce in the late 1970s, sat smiling in the rain at their table, which also included big beautiful quince. Their popular golden chanterelles should appear soon.

It has not been a good year for local chestnuts.

A post on Greg Dabel’s Green Valley Chestnut Ranch’s website reports that the drought and unseasonable weather conditions during pollination resulted in a very small crop of very small chestnuts. This year, the ranch will not be shipping any chestnuts, nor will it be open for its popular “u-pick” option.

McCrumb and Passmore’s have done better, likely because they are located close to the coast where the trees are treated to a regular embrace of moist fog. Chestnuts need moisture.

Sonoma Coast Organic chestnuts are sorted and sold by size. If you are daunted by the thought of having to peel them, some are also available with the skins already removed.

Chestnuts are vegan, Paleo and gluten free. Dried, they are ground into flour that is used to make a nutty-flavored gluten-free pasta and as an ingredient in both savory soups and a wide array of desserts. Unlike most tree nuts, chestnuts have almost no fat and are high in both carbohydrates and fiber. A cup has not quite 250 calories. They are a good source of vitamins and trace minerals, too, including vitamins B6 and C, folacin, magnesium, phosphorus, riboflavin and thiamin.

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Here’s a perfect fall side dish that is delicious as part of a holiday meal. You’ll need to blanch the onions before preparing the dish, and doing so is quite easy. Simply fill a medium saucepan half full with water, add a generous tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the onions, cook for 60 to 90 seconds, drain and cool. Use a paring knife to remove the root end, and slip the onions out of their skins.

Oven-Roasted Chestnuts, Onions & Bacon

Serves 6 to 8

5 or 6 bacon slices, cut into ½-inch wide crosswise strips

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound small onions, preferably cippolini (a flat Italian onion, available at many local markets) or pearl onions, blanched and peeled

1 pound fresh chestnuts, roasted and peeled (see below)

Kosher salt

Black pepper in a mill

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Fry the bacon in a heavy cast iron skillet until it is almost but not quite crisp. Add the butter and, when it is melted, add the onions and chestnuts, turning them in the fat until they are evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to the oven and cook, stirring now and then, until the onions and chestnuts are completely tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with parsley and serve as a side dish. Alternately, use one of the suggestions below.

Serving Suggestions:

•Before cooking, cut the onions and the chestnuts into quarters. Cook as instructed above, and when they are just tender, transfer the pan to the stove top. Add 4 cups Brussels sprouts leaves, toss and cook until the sprouts wilt. Correct the seasoning and serve right away.

•While the vegetables cook, prepare a pound of pasta, such as orrechetti. Drain it, but do not rinse it. Tip it into a warmed wide shallow bowl, add the vegetables, toss, sprinkle with Italian parsley and enjoy right away.

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This festive soup makes a great first course for any holiday meal. You can omit the artichokes if you like or replace them with a spoonful of creme fraiche and a grating of nutmeg, added to each portion just before serving.

Chestnut Soup with Brown Butter Artichoke Hearts

Serves 6 to 8

½ cup (1 stick) butter

4 cups fresh chestnuts, roasted and peeled (see below)

1 shallot, minced

1 carrot, peeled and minced

1 parsnip, peeled and minced

1 small celery root, peeled and minced

Kosher salt

Black pepper in a mill

½ cup Madeira

8 cups homemade chicken or mushroom stock

4 Italian parsley sprigs

Whole nutmeg

4 artichoke hearts, cooked, trimmed and sliced crosswise (see Note below)

1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley

Put the butter into a small medium pan set over medium low heat and, when it is melted, use a spoon to skim off any impurities that have risen to the surface. Carefully pour the liquid butter into a small clean pan and continue to cook over medium low heat until the butter takes on a golden hue and has the aroma of hazelnuts.

Wipe the medium sauté pan clean.

Pour about half the butter back into the sauté pan, add the chestnuts and sauté for about 5 minutes, until heated through. Cover and set aside.

Pour the remaining butter into a soup pot or large saucepan, add the shallot, carrot, parsnip and celery root, season with salt and sauté until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes; do not let them brown.

Add the Madeira, swirl the pan and cook until the Madeira is nearly evaporated. Add the stock, parsley sprigs and several generous gratings of nutmeg. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chestnuts to the pot, leaving behind as much of the butter as you can.

Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook until the chestnuts are tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat and let cool slightly.

While the soup cools, put the pan with the butter over medium heat, add the artichoke hearts and sauté gently until lightly browned on both sides. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

To finish the soup, use tongs to remove and discard the parsley sprigs and use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it is quite smooth. Taste and correct for salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls or soup plates, drop some of the artichoke hearts on top, sprinkle with Italian parsley and enjoy right away.

Note: Trim and steam or boil large Green Globe artichokes, let them cool and pull off the leaves, reserving them to enjoy later or serving them as an appetizer with olive oil and lemon juice for dipping. Use a small pairing knife to cut out the choke and trim each heart; cut into 1/8-inch thick crosswise slices.

Michele Anna Jordan has written 24 books, including the new “Good Cook’s” series. Email her at michele@saladdresser.com or visit her blog, “Eat This Now,” at pantry.blogs.pressdemocr