Botanically speaking, a nut is the single seed to a dry fruit.  When mature, the fruit wall hardens and becomes what we recognize as the nut’s shell.  The culinary world has a much broader take on what is or isn’t a nut, and it basically comes down to being any seed that is larger than a pumpkin seed.  Nut or seed, these little nuggets of goodness are the perfect snack food for long term energy.

Think about it.  What is a seed?  It contains all the life and energy required to keep a plant sustained until it can harvest its own energy from the sun and the soil.  Depending on the plant, that can take hours to days to weeks.  This lengthy process means the seeds have to be packed full of fats and protein, not to mention vitamins and minerals, enough to sustain that seedling for as long as possible.

All this is great news for us nut and seed eating humans.  Combined with some chocolate or dried fruit for a short burst of sugary energy, a handful or two of nuts will sustain you for hours.  Roast your own custom nut blend:  Simply toss them with a bit of olive oil and sea salt, spread them on a baking sheet in a single layer, and roast at 350° F until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.  Try it with curry powder, cinnamon, chili powder, or other flavours.

But don’t stop at snacking.  Nuts are a delicious, nutritious addition to muffins, cookies, cakes and other baked goods, sprinkled on salads or ice cream, or in casseroles, curries and stir fry recipes.  Westpoint offers a wide selection of nuts, suitable for almost any application.  To get started, try this delicious fresh summer pasta.

Fresh Summer Pasta

3 pounds Vine-Ripened Tomatoes
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup cut Basil
1 4 oz. can pitted Black Olives, drained
2 pressed Garlic Cloves
1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground
1/4 tsp Hontaka Chili Flakes
** 1 lb. Pasta
1/2 lb. cubed Mozzarella
1 cup toasted Walnuts
Grated Romano cheese (as desired)

Pour very hot water over the tomatoes and let stand until the skins loosen. Drain, peel, and chop the tomatoes. Mix with the olive oil, basil, olives, garlic, and seasonings, and let marinate at room temperature for one hour. Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain. Stir in 1/2 cup of the juices from the sauce, stir in the mozzarella cheese and toss the pasta
until the cheese begins to melt. Stir in the remaining sauce and the toasted walnuts, and serve immediately. Top with Romano cheese as desired. Serves four as an entrée.

**Use a gluten free pasta, such as brown or white rice, to make this recipe suitable for the Celiac diet.