Getting nutty

Beaked hazelnuts (Corylus cornuta) are not only tasty, they are a great wild source of energy, protein, unsaturated fat, and B vitamins amongst other nutrients. The nut, which is actually the seed of the fruit . . . is one of the few seeds that were consumed regularly by First Nations People in this region. Similar to but smaller than the cultivated variety, beaked hazelnuts can be eaten as-is, roasted, candied, ground into flour and added to soups, breads, sweets and all manner of dishes; and edible oil can be produced from the seeds. Harvest usually occurs in the fall, and the nuts can be stored in their husks for up to 12 months if kept cool and dry. For harvesters with a sweet-tooth, the seeds are softest and sweetest in mid to late autumn.

Beaked hazelnuts are tall shrubs (2-4 m) with rounded, coarsely-toothed leaves that turn yellow in the fall. The nuts are enclosed in husks that are light green and covered with prickly hairs that project into a beak (hence the name), and grow in pairs of clusters of three at the ends of the branches. Hazelnuts grow in open forests and clearings. Their distribution is widespread throughout southern British Columbia and Canada (with some more northerly disjuncts such as near Hazelton), but they are not so abundant that they weren't traditionally worth traveling or trading for, and burning was sometimes used as a management technique to enhance productivity. Competition between squirrels and human harvesters can be fierce; rodents often cache them away for the winter as soon as they start ripening, though sometimes this benefits only the sneaky humans who pilfer them away.

Not simply a wonderful snack, a multitude of medicinal uses have also been developed for hazelnuts. One example, considered inadvisable, is consuming the hulls so that their sharp hairs expel worms. This traditional practice was adopted by early physicians, who later deemed it an intestinal irritant. A bark infusion was used to treat hives, colds, and fevers; the raw nut would be eaten to strengthen women before giving birth (as well as for hay fever); the bark was applied as a poultice to close wounds; and an infusion of the branches and twigs was used to purify the blood and to treat heart and gastrointestinal complaints. The flexible branches were sometimes used for rope or for brooms, and roots were woven into coarse baskets.

Hazelnut cultivation, already considerable in many parts of the world (led by Turkey with about 75% of global production), is increasingly common in the Pacific Northwest. One Vancouver Island outfit is growing hazelnut trees to take advantage of their relationship with truffles, the unique-tasting and extremely valuable underground fungus. While there is no end to the mouthwatering recipe ideas to bring some hazelnut sweetness into your life (e.g. macaroons, sweet breads, butters, sauces, chocolate hazelnut tortes, and the list does go on), this week's focus promotes another non-timber forest product, plantains

Recipe: Hazelnut Plantain Casserole

¼ pound lean bacon, diced (or surely some wild venison will do to stick with the local theme!)
1½ cups stock
½ cup wild onion, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
12 cups plantain leaves cut in strips
2 tbs sugar
½ lb hazelnuts, finely chopped
1½ cups red wine
2 tbs wine vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a heavy skillet cook meat and save. Cook the onion in the fat until it is soft but not brown. Stir in the plantain leaves and toss until all the leaves are well covered with fat. Put the greens in a 5 quart flame-proof casserole and cover tightly, cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Add the wine, vinegar, stock, salt, pepper, sugar and meat. Cover and bake in oven for 1 hour. Add the chopped hazelnuts, cover and put back in the oven for another hour, making sure the liquid does not cook away too fast. The greens are cooked when they are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Season more to taste if so desired. Serve with pride.