Pistachio star of new cookbook from James Beard-winning author Georgeanne Brennan

The city of Sonoma is filled with history, but it’s sometimes the footnotes of history that are most surprising.

Such as this: In the late 1800s, the first pistachio trees planted in California were planted in Sonoma. This happened during a period of prolific global plant and seed expeditions, when pioneering nurserymen would find specimens abroad, then try to find the right temperature and soil to grow them here.

“Sonoma has a long, hot, dry summer and then the chill of the winter,” said Georgeanne Brennan, whose cookbook, “Pistachio: Savory & Sweet Recipes Inspired by World Cuisines,” co-written with Barbara Bryant, was published last week.

With the favorably hot summers and chilly winters, Sonoma County seemed the perfect place for pistachios to thrive. They did not, Brennan said.

Brennan, who lives on a small farm in Winters, will be at Copperfield’s in Petaluma next week along with Robert Holmes, the photographer for “Pistachio,” to talk about and sign copies of the book published by Petaluma-based Cameron & Co.

A James Beard Award-winning cookbook author, Brennan has published more than 30 cookbooks. She also produces a line of aperitifs she sells at L’Apero les Trois, a tasting bar in downtown Winters that she runs with Corinne Martinez, co-owner of Berryessa Gap Vineyards, and Nicole Salengo, Berryessa Gap’s winemaker.

“Pistachio” brims with more than 60 recipes. They represent a variety of cuisines in which pistachios play a part, most notably in the Mediterranean and Middle East, where pistachios have grown for thousands of years.

While the plants didn’t take to our climate in Sonoma County, they found their footing in the early 20th century in the Central Valley — Chico, in particular. The Kerman variety, named for a city in Iran, did particularly well, and plantings spread throughout the area’s hotter, drier climate.

Today, California is one of the world’s top producers of pistachios, second only to Iran.

The pistachio’s success in California is due in part to global politics. The first commercial crop of California pistachios was produced in 1976. Three years later, imports from Iran, including pistachios, were banned during the Iran hostage crisis and demand for California pistachios took off.

“All of a sudden, there was no competition. It allowed the California industry, which was growing anyway, (to) just kept growing. It was a confluence of the perfect moment,” said Brennan.

How to choose, use pistachios

Pistachios are typically harvested in late September and October, Brennan said. The new crop will begin appearing in markets within the next couple months.

Look for pistachios whose shells are slightly open, which indicates the nut inside is fully ripe. It’s that trait that makes it known as “the smiling nut” in Iran and throughout the Middle East.

When it comes to pistachios, most of us probably think first about dessert: pale green pistachio ice cream, pistachios layered in baklava or, for those who remember the Nixon years, that retro dessert called Watergate Cake.

The lime cheesecake with pistachio crust that graces the front of the cookbook earned its cover-girl placement not just because of its looks, according to Brennan.

“That is the best cheesecake I have ever had. Ever,” she said, noting the pistachio crust makes the dessert unusually delicious. “When you want to do something special, we want it to look pretty and taste good, and this definitely meets that bar. And you can make it the day before.”

For those who want to make baklava, Brennan said it can be a challenging dessert to make.

“Counting those layers and making it isn’t difficult, but you do have to stay focused,” she said. “The time I had a friend do it with me was so much better to have two people than just one. Make it with a friend, have a fun time and you can both keep track (of the layers).”

Savory uses

But pistachios can factor into so much more beyond dessert.

Local farmers’ markets are full of seasonal goods that make perfect partners with pistachios, according to Brennan.

“As we move into fall and into winter, they’re great with citrus and with the squashes. They’re just so pretty. Pistachios and pomegranates, they just automatically go together, both taste-wise and visually.”

She incorporates pistachios and pomegranates to dazzling effect in a recipe of roasted delicata squash with harissa yogurt. It’s a dish that’s elegant yet easy because the skins of delicata squash are edible, which means there’s no peeling necessary.

While simple enough for a weeknight side or a vegetarian main dish, it would also be right at home on the Thanksgiving table.

Brennan said one of the biggest surprises while researching and developing recipes for the cookbook was how easy it is to make your own pistachio meal, flour and butter.

“I hope that comes through for the readers — it’s something you can do at home and it’s just kind of powerful,” she said.

She makes pistachio butter by giving the nuts a quick dip in boiling water, allowing them to dry overnight, then blitzing them in a food processor until the nuts become smooth and creamy.

This pistachio butter becomes a simple sauce for pan-seared shrimp for tacos.

Her experiments with pistachios are ongoing, even though the cookbook is already in stores. Brennan plans to try making a cocktail that combines pistachio oil with her apricot aperitif and some almond syrup from Sonoma Syrup Co., topped with either club soda or sparkling wine.

“Almonds, pistachio and apricots — they all just sing together in that combination. Doesn’t that sound good?”

Roasted Delicata Squash with Harissa Yogurt and Pistachios

Makes 4 servings

This is a handsome side dish to accompany chicken or pork, or you can pair it with couscous or quinoa for a vegetarian main course. Available from summer through early winter, delicata squash has edible yellow-and-green-striped skin. Harissa, a North African chile paste also popular in France, is mixed into yogurt to make a tangy hot sauce to drizzle or spoon over the roasted squash.

2 delicata squash (about 1 pound each)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon harissa or other chile paste

½ cup plain Greek yogurt (whole-milk, low-fat or nonfat)

½ cup pomegranate arils

½ cup pistachios, coarsely chopped

Small cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Trim off both ends of each squash and set aside. Using a metal spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds from each squash. Cut the hollowed-out squashes into a mix of rings 1-inch thick and chunky wedges. Cut some of the rings in half. Transfer all the squash pieces to a large bowl. Trim away the stem and blossom portions from the reserved ends and add the ends to the bowl.

Drizzle the squash pieces with the oil and toss to coat evenly. Turn the squash pieces out onto the prepared sheet pan and spread in a single layer. Season with half the salt and half the pepper. Turn the pieces and season again with the remaining salt and pepper.

Roast the squash pieces until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Turn and roast until just tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes longer. Turn off the oven and let the squash sit in the oven for five minutes before serving.

While the squash is roasting, in a small serving bowl, stir the harissa into the yogurt, mixing well.

To serve, transfer the squash pieces to a platter and scatter the pomegranate arils and pistachios over the top. Garnish with the cilantro and set the bowl of harissa yogurt alongside.

Pistachio Butter-Basted Shrimp Tacos

Makes 8 tacos

With its nutty flavor, pistachio butter is the secret sauce for these quick and easy shrimp tacos. Keep the extras to a minimum — just a little shredded cabbage, cilantro, green onions and a drizzle of crema — to allow the shrimp, with its unusual chile-pistachio flavor, to take center stage.

8 6-inch corn tortillas

1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 teaspoon chile powder

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

2 tablespoons pistachio butter (recipe follows)

1 cup finely shredded purple cabbage

6 green onions, white and tender green parts, thinly sliced

1 avocado, pitted, peeled and thinly sliced

⅓ cup cream or crème fraîche (optional)

1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro sprigs

2 limes, quartered

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Lay a slightly damp kitchen towel near the stove. Preheat a griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add a tortilla and heat until almost soft, about 30 seconds. Turn and heat for 30 seconds on the second side. Transfer to one end of the towel and cover with the other end. Repeat until all the tortillas have been warmed, then wrap in the towel, place on a sheet pan or oven-safe dish and place in the oven until ready to use.

In a frying pan large enough to hold all the shrimp in a single layer, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and sprinkle them evenly with the chile powder and salt. Cook, turning once, until just pink and curled, about two minutes total. Add the pistachio butter to the pan and, as it melts, baste the shrimp with it. Remove from the heat.

Remove the tortillas from the oven, unwrap them and arrange them on a work surface. Divide the shrimp, cabbage, green onions and avocado evenly among the warm tortillas. Place the tacos on a large platter and spoon a little crema on each taco, if desired. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and lime wedges and serve.

Lime Cheesecake with Pistachio Crust

Makes 9 servings

Bright with the flavor of aromatic limes and grounded by a dense pistachio crust, these light and airy cheesecake squares answer the call for a special-occasion dessert. Cut into smaller squares, this satisfying sweet makes a lovely addition to an afternoon tea or coffee get-together. You also can use the pistachio crust to make custard-based fruit tarts, such as blackberry or apricot tarts.

For the crust

¾ cup pistachio meal (recipe follows)

6 tablespoons sugar

¾ cup all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch chunks

For the filling

4 large eggs

1 cup regular sour cream

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Grated zest of 2 limes

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

8 ounces regular cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into 6 or 7 pieces

8 ounces regular Neufchatel cheese, at room temperature, cut into 6 or 7 pieces

For the topping

½ - ⅔ cup regular sour cream

3 thin lime slices

½ cup pistachios, chopped

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Line the bottom and two sides of an 8-inch square baking dish with a sheet of aluminum foil, pressing it in firmly and allowing a 2-inch overhang on both sides. Line the baking dish with a second sheet of aluminum foil in the opposite direction (perpendicular to the first sheet), again allowing a 2-inch overhang on both sides.

Make the crust: In a bowl, whisk together the pistachio meal, sugar and flour until well-blended. Scatter the butter over the pistachio-flour mixture and, using your fingers or a pastry blender, work in the butter until the mixture is somewhat crumbly. Gather the dough into a tight ball.

Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish. Using your fingers, press the dough firmly and evenly onto the bottom of the dish. Set aside.

Make the filling: Set two large bowls side by side. Separate the eggs, dropping the whites into one bowl and the yolks into the second bowl.

To the bowl with the yolks, add the sour cream, vanilla, lime zest and juice, sugar, flour and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the cream cheese, a few pieces at a time, and beat until smooth. Then add the Neufchâtel in the same way, again beating until smooth.

Using clean beaters, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites, a little at a time, into the sour-cream mixture. Pour or spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Lift the baking dish, then gently tap it on the work surface to settle the filling. Using a rubber spatula, smooth the surface.

Bake the cheesecake until the center barely jiggles when the dish is shaken and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean, about one hour. Turn off the oven, crack open the oven door and leave the cake in the oven to cool for one hour longer.

Transfer the cake to a wire rack and let cool completely. Grasping the edges of the bottom layer of foil in both hands, lift the cheesecake out of the pan and place it on a work surface.

Top the cake: Using a rubber spatula, spread the top of the cake evenly with the sour cream. Have ready a tall glass of hot water. Dip a sharp knife into the hot water, dry the blade and cut the cake into nine equal pieces, rinsing the knife in the hot water and drying it after each cut. Cut the lime slices into quarters; you’ll need only nine quarters. Garnish each cake square with a lime quarter, then sprinkle with the pistachios.

Use an offset spatula to transfer the cheesecake squares to a platter. Serve immediately or cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to two days.

Pistachio Meal, Flour or Butter

2 cups shelled pistachios

4 cups water

In a saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pistachios and boil for 30 seconds. Drain into a colander, then spread in a single layer on a sheet pan. Let stand overnight at room temperature until completely dry.

The next day, place the nuts on the center of a clean kitchen towel, fold the towel over the nuts and rub the nuts with the towel to remove the brown skins. Not every bit of skin will come off, but enough will flake off to keep the meal or butter a light green.

Transfer the nuts to a food processor and process until nuts are coarsely ground for meal, finely ground for flour or until creamy for butter. Store meal and flour in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month. Pistachio butter will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks.

You can reach Staff Writer Jennifer Graue at 707-521-5262 or jennifer.graue@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @JenInOz.