There are so many things to love about Fall, the leaves are changing, the weather is crisp and cool. But especially here in Italy when food takes center stage, there is always something new to try. I’ve been loving the pumpkins and walnuts, pears and apples. But those are fabulous at home in California also. A few things that aren’t so common for us are Porcini mushrooms and Chestnuts! Here, they call Chestnuts “Castagnia”and “Marone”. I see them for sale in little trucks lining the streets as well as in the farmers market and every vegetable stand in town.
They are especially valued at the time the new wine is released which should be happening very soon. New wine is the wine from the grapes just harvested. It has not yet fully fermented and is very low in alcohol content. But the Italians love sipping a new wine and nibbling on a freshly roasted chestnut.
Italy is Europes biggest producer of chestnuts and many kinds grow right here in Lazio. They are in season from September until January and just the idea of chestnuts roasting makes you want to cozy up on an Autumn day. They are high in nutritional value and used to be considered “poor mans food” but now they are considered somewhat a luxury item.
I purchased some large, shiny, beautiful chestnuts that felt heavy in my hand. I prepare them by cutting a little X on eat chestnut and pop them into the oven. I remove them from the oven and wrap them in a kitchen towel and crush them in my hands.
I can see why this is such a comforting thing to do on a chilly day. The towel filled with roasted chestnuts warms my hands and I am reminded of all the good things about colder weather. Cracking a pile of warm chestnuts, sipping new wine and just enjoying the warmth of good friends and family.
How to Roast Chestnuts
Ingredients:
1 pound chestnuts
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425. Using a sharp knife, make and X-shape cut on the round side of each chestnut to keep them from exploding in your oven. Believe me, its like a gun going off in your oven so make sure to make those cuts!
Arrange the chestnuts on a baking sheet and roast them until the skins have pulled back from the cuts and the meats have softened, about 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven and wrap them up in a towel. Squeeze them hard until they crackle and let them sit for a few minutes.
Peel back the skins and enjoy!
