Walnut Basil Pesto Chicken

We recently got a little bit of this neat balsamic called Chocolate Walnut. We don't have very much of it, and when we run out, we are out. It's like our Black Walnut, but with a chocolate hint. That being said, you could make this recipe with the limited Chocolate Walnut, just the Chocolate, or just the Black Walnut.

It's just tasty any way you serve it.

Walnut Basil Pesto Chicken

6-8 boned chicken thighs
1/2 cup Basil pesto with walnuts (recipe at the end)
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup Chocolate Walnut Balsamic

Preheat your oven to 375°. Place the chicken in an oven proof casserole with high sides. Arrange in a single layer. Combine the pesto and the wine and pour over the chicken, making sure to cover every bit.

Place in the oven uncovered and bake for about 20 minutes flipping the chicken halfway through. Remove from oven and brush the balsamic all over the chicken. Return to the oven and cook for an additional 10 - 15 minutes. Serve with a nice scoop of sauce. (You don't have to flip the chicken, I just think it lets the sauce really get all over everything better)

Basil Pesto with Walnuts

3 cups fresh basil*
1/2 cup Basil Olive Oil
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 clove garlic
Sea Salt
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, optional

Roughly chop the garlic and walnuts. Mash them together with a sprinkle of the sea salt and add to a food processor with the basil and 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Pulse until everything is finely chopped, then turn it on and gently stream in the olive oil until everything is nice and smooth. Add Parmesan now if using and pulse to combine.

Instead of all basil, you could use half spinach or arugula. We also have a jarred pesto available in the store made with arugula and walnuts that is good as well.

Customer Recipe: Beet Salad

Thanks to Beverly for this great recipe! It looks so beautiful, maybe I'll actually eat beets....


The beets are medium sized, about 2 1/2 inches across.  Cut off the tops if they are still on the beets, but leave a little of the top, about a 1/2 inch on so beets don't bleed out any of their flavor.  Wash and wrap in foil.  Roast in oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Stick each beet with meat fork at end of cooking time to make sure the beets are done.  If they are still a little hard, continue cooking for about 10 minutes longer.  Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle.  When they are able to be handled, open the foil, and rub each beet hard enough to remove the skin and the remaining top.  You may want to wear a pair of disposable rubber gloves so you don't stain your hands.  The top leaves that are cut off can be washed and chopped and sauteed for a side dish later.  Just cook them in a little flavored oil, for about fifteen minutes.  After the beets are skinned, put them in a plastic bag and cool in refrigerator until you want the beet salad.  It only takes one beet for each salad.  Dice the cold beets, put on a dish, add some chopped walnut, or black walnuts, Gorgonzola Cheese crumbles, and Black walnut vinegar.  Delicious. 
-Bev

Black Walnut Green Beans

Again, no Parmesan for the vegans!

Black Walnut Green Beans

1 1/2 lb green beans, ends trimmed
2 tbsp olive oil, varietal
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp onion flakes (or the fried onion bits)
2 tbsp Black Walnut Balsamic
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, for garnish
2-4 tbsp Parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat the oven to 425degrees.

Stir all the ingredients for your sauce together in a large bowl. Add the green beans and toss to coat.

Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring once, halfway through. 12-15 minutes.

Sprinkle with the walnuts and Parmesan.

Balsamic Chicken Fake-out

Balsamic Chicken Fake-Out, with Lemon Stuffing and Lemon- Walnut Green Beans

This is the easiest chicken dish ever. So perfect for when you are on the run, or just don't really want to cook. Grab these items from the grocery store:

1 rotisserie chicken, plain or herb is best

1 bag, steam in bag green beans
1 can instant stuffing

Cut your chicken into quarters with your kitchen shears. Place in an oven safe dish. Using a pastry brush, coat with balsamic vinegar. I usually choose Zesty Lemon, but I also love it with Raspberry, Black Walnut, Juniper Berry and Fig. Place in an oven heated to 350degrees and bake 10 minutes.

Steam your green beans. Place in a large bowl, sprinkle with walnuts and drizzle on about 2 Tbsp of Meyer Lemon Olive Oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with Sun-Ripened Tomato Sea Salt.

For the stuffing, replace the butter in the instructions with Meyer Lemon Olive Oil but make no other changes to their recipe.

Make sure to hide all the packaging because no one should know how easy this is!

Black Walnut Pot Roast

Pot roast is one of my favorite things to make. It is so simple and good. I like that I can put it together and forget about it. And even when it's hot outside, I still like it. 

Hate the heat of the stove, but can't beat the leftovers.

Black Walnut Pot Roast

serves 4, or 2 with lots of leftovers

5 lbs Eye roast

4-5 potatoes, diced

6-7 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1inch pieces

1 large onion, sliced

4 Tbs. Black Walnut Balsamic Vinegar

3 Tbs. Butter Olive Oil

4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

1 14oz can of low-sodium vegetable broth

Salt and Pepper

Heat oven to 350degrees. 

Cut slits in the roast and place the garlic inside. Rub 1tbs of the Black Walnut Balsamic into the roast. 

Heat Butter Olive Oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Season the roast with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook for 5minutes, turning to brown on all sides.

Arrange veggies equally around the meat. I like to use tongs to lift the roast and stick some onions under it too. Do what you like. They are your veggies and will turn out just fine no matter where you put them. Add the broth and sprinkle the remaining 3tbs of balsamic over everything.

Cover and bake for about 3 hours. Enjoy your feast!

Cook's note: You can use whatever kind of veggies you want of course. I just usually have onions and potatoes hanging around. I have also had great success with parsnips and leeks. I sometimes add mushrooms halfway through too. Which is delightful. But I was out of mushrooms.