These are fresh hazelnuts, sometimes called cobnuts, and they grow on the trees all along the canal where I walk Bob, and litter the ground.
Most of them have been gnawed by wildlife, but some remain intact and yesterday I decided to pick some up..
They’re so pretty; to me they represent the countryside and regrowth and everything lovely about where I live…although right now the ground is sadly parched from the extended heat and lack of rain 😦
When cracked open carefully, they give up their milky white kernels which can be eaten raw or toasted, and added to all sorts of dishes.
My little haul
Its hard to describe the taste & texture, but they taste ‘fresh’ and young, with a crunch, but not a hard crunch like mature nuts.
I chopped some up and added them to my lunch yesterday: a whole roasted aubergine filled with a roasted pepper, mild red chilli, cherry tomato, spring onion, garlic and tabil spice sauce, and topped with tahini, roasted seeds, and the chopped fresh hazelnuts…
They made an nice addition to the dish!
If you get a chance to try some, I definitely recommend it 🙂
I never would have recognised them! They are very pretty. 🙂
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Someone had to tell me what they were years ago! I wouldn’t have known either..
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Cob nuts already, stay a little longer summer days! must try and beat the squirrels to the nuts this year or perhaps their need is greater than mine and I shouldn’t begrudge them!
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Ha ha! No, me neither 🙂
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Wow that is so interesting
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😀😀
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How interesting!
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😀😀
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They are lovely, Elaine. There’s a nut shop nearby.. I wouldn’t go anywhere else. But they’re already shelled.
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A dedicated nut shop??? How lovely!
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I’ve never seen hazelnuts in the raw. Interesting post. Sorry, the weather hasn’t cooperated with this year’s crop.
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Pretty aren’t they??
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Yes! 🙂
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Lucky you Elaine – I have always loved hazelnuts – could never resist the big purple one in the quality streets growing up! I’d be grabbing them daily if they were on my morning dog walk!
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Ha ha! Me too, I’ve always loved hazelnuts x
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I just realized I’ve never thought about fresh hazelnuts before! They’re quite marvelous aren’t they!
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Yes, really really cute!
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Elaine. I want to make this Aubergine Recipe it looks so delicious. I’ve got ingredients for Tabil spice but how do I make the Tabil Sauce? And do you let the Aubergine cool before filling it?
I haven’t got fresh hazelnuts but I’m planning on putting some Pomegranite seeds in.
Thanks Jenny
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Hi, I didn’t make a ‘tabil sauce’, the tabil was part of the whole sauce if that makes sense?
Yes I fill the aubergine whilst hot 👍🏻👍🏻
I hope you like it 🙏🏻🙏🏻💖
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