FreshPoint

Description:

The nuts of our Green Almonds are still in the jelly stage. Thinly sliced on a mandoline and tossed into or atop salads, laid out on a plate and sprinkled with Fleur de Sel or shaved onto a Spring Pea Risotto like truffle slices they have a wonderful, bright lemony flavor and a lot of crunch. From Epicurious: “ The fuzzy Green Almonds change markedly during the springtime harvest: In April, they’ re tender enough to eat whole and have a herbaceous taste (like a raw pea pod, but slightly tart and bitter) brined or dipped in salt, they’ re addictive. Within a few weeks, the hull and shell toughen, and the seed, which hardens from translucent jelly to a crunchy white nutlet, is the only part eaten. ‘ Their versatility is staggering,’ says Gregory Brainin of New York’ s Jean Georges, which serves a tangle of needlefish coated in the jelly of young Green Almonds. He finds the older nutlets have an anise-like flavor, which he emphasizes by matching them with arctic char and fennel compote. Mark Peel of Campanile, in Los Angeles, uses Green Almonds both in pesto and in a brothy fish stew Judy Rodgers of Zuni Cafe, in San Francisco, serves the shelled nutlets with prosciutto or mild sheep’ s-milk cheeses. ‘ They’ ve got a wonderful satiny texture,’ she says.” Remember the season on Green Almonds is short, so order soon! Add the essence of Spring to your menu!