Nuts from Bulgaria

Sometimes recipes are the result of simple serendipity. I met two lovely people this weekend who have carved a life for themselves in Bulgaria. They are canning their own foods, making wine and using all the fantastic ingredients they have to hand. We did, of course, spend some time talking about recipes and foods, and generally about how eating fresh, seasonal ingredients is one of life’s true pleasures.

Angie and Ivor very kindly gave me a sack full of Bulgarian walnuts – as well as indulging me in some home grown merlot. The Bulgarian nuts are smaller than the walnuts I usually source, and darker too. In texture they are creamy and have a distinctly sweeter flavour than the paler variety we see in the UK every Christmas.   With the next event on the way, and it being of an Eastern European flavour, I had to find a way of getting these Adriatic fruits onto the menu. Not only did I get them onto the menu, but I also got them onto the wall, ceiling, cupboards, boiler and most of the oils and vinegars that live on the work surface – I will explain.

Yesterday I decided to include an amuse bouche on the menu which will be a beetroot puree, topped with a savoury curd cheese, served in a shot glass. We tried it last night and it is delicious. The puree has been made from the consome process, and carries a velvety rich beetroot flavour, with a hint of star anise.  The curd cheese is made by steeping the milk in rosemary and splitting it with lemon juice. However, with the introduction of walnuts, I decided to cream them with some chicken stock and horseradish to create the creamy topping for the appetizer.

Whilst forcing the walnut puree through muslim, the pressure became too much and the material burst with an explosive force, splattering the tasty contents all over the kitchen.   Attempt two has proven to be more successful, and I am happy to say that thanks to Angie and Ivor’s lovely nuts, and some serious cleaning on my part, I have now added the Beetroot, Walnut and Horseradishshot to Saturday’s menu.

Enjoy.

Please let us know if there are any ingredients you would like to see on the Table Without Borders. Are you a local producer? whether commercial or an allotment grower, we want to buy your produce so that we can continue to Taste Globally & Cook Locally.

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