Wild rice with black walnuts and mushrooms

This far into November, locally grown foods are harder to come by. Gone are the tomatoes, the corn, the fresh berries that make summer eating such a joy.

But now’s the time for black walnuts. Chances are, the ones you find at the supermarket were grown in the Midwest and distributed by Hammons, located in Stockton, Mo.

Black walnuts have tough shells that are notoriously hard to crack. Some people resort to putting them in the driveway and driving the car over them. If you have a tree of your own, check the website for a list of shelling stations.

Black walnuts have a stronger flavor than English walnuts. Here’s how Hammons describes them:

• Rich: strong and finely flavored; abounding; sumptuous.
• Nutty: nutlike in flavor; full of flavor or zest; lively; stimulating; meaty.
• Robust: hardy; vigorous; marked by richness and fullness of flavor.
• Savory: pleasant or agreeable in taste or smell; piquant.
• Lively: eventful, stirring, or exciting; strong, keen, or distinct; full of zest or vigor.
• Natural: in its original or raw state; being such by nature.

Hammons recommends using black walnuts in sweet recipes, and notes that black walnuts go especially well with chocolate-, vanilla-, pumpkin- and apple-based desserts. The nuts are good in savory recipes, too. I asked Brian Hammons for his favorite recipes; this is one he recommends.

Wild Rice
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
1 cup uncooked wild rice
1/4 cup (1/2) stick butter
3/4 to 1 cup large black walnuts
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Cook wild rice according to package directions.

Melt butter in skillet. Saute black walnuts, green onions, mushrooms and green pepper about 3 minutes or until the vegetables soften slightly. Add wild rice and garlic salt. Cook, stirring several times, until wild rice is heated through.