Walnuts
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The walnut harvest in Europe starts in October; the Californians send their uniform, high quality crop a little later.
When walnuts are farmed on any scale, as they are in parts of France like the Dordogne, the nuts are gently dried in huge ovens to make sure they will keep. A wet walnut is simply one that has not been dried.
Walnut oil has a rich walnut flavour and a high level of healthy fats to recommend it.
Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a starterWarm Lentil Salad with Walnuts and Goats' Cheese
A tin of cooked lentils allows you to rustle this lovely, French-inspired salad up in minutes. You could also serve it without the cheese as an accompaniment to chicken and fish. Let's raise the pulse rate!
Serves 4Tagliatelle with Gorgonzola and Toasted Walnuts
The crunch of the walnuts and the tang of the blue cheese combine to make this a really wonderful vegetarian pasta dish that's made in minutes.
Makes enough for a 12-14 lb (5.5-6.5 kg) turkeyAmerican Turkey Stuffing
Pork, apples, walnuts and herbs feature in this wonderful stuffing recipe, given to Delia by an American family at a Thanksgiving dinner. The pork and apples add moistness, helping the turkey to remain succulent.
Makes one 8 inch (20 cm) round cakeItalian Chocolate Christmas Cake
Chocolate, nuts and brandy find their way into this wonderful Italian Christmas cake from Anna del Conte - so good you could also serve it for dessert.
Serves 8Pork with Pickled Walnut Stuffing
This might sound unlikely but it's a great combination. The sharpness of the pickled walnuts complements the richness of the pork perfectly.
