Craving chestnuts, substitute found!

[Duer 157099]

Since Thanksgiving, I've been craving good roasted chestnuts, because they are almost impossible to find. When you *do* manage to find chestnuts at the grocery store, chances are that a good percentage of them will be moldy. When I managed to find a batch that were mostly not moldy, unfortunately it was a strain that didn't have very much flavor!

So, for the past few months, I've had this unfulfilled chestnut craving. And I gave up.

In the meantime, I had picked up some kabocha squashes, having never tried them, but having read that the skin is edible and actually tasty, so that appealed to my low maintenance preference in food prep.

The first one I tried, I just baked in the oven, halved with seeds removed (and roasted like pumpkin seeds, very good, better than pumpkin even) with a little olive oil, S&P. I mostly scooped the flesh out, but did taste the rind/skin, and indeed it was completely edible and actually good.

So the next time I made it, I just cut the squash in half and then cut thin slices (sorta like canteloupe), baked with EVOO/S&P. Very good this way too. But then, a couple hours later, I had a remarkable discovery!

The remaining pieces were now room temp and I picked one up and ate it and it was fantastic! The next day, I tried again, to see if I had just been in the mood the day prior, but nope, they were STILL fantastic! Squash as finger food! Cold, room temp, warm or hot, fantastic any which way!

As I was trying to figure out why this particular squash appealed to me so much, I noticed that the flavor and texture was pretty similar to chestnuts. CHESTNUTS! Those expensive, hard-to-find, hard-to-prepare, hard-to-peel little devils that destroy your fingers, yes THOSE.

So I now have a new go-to healthy snack, and I urge any of you who love chestnuts to consider trying this. I made sure not to cook them too long, because I wanted the flesh firm so it could be eaten as finger food. It may be that this is the natural texture of this squash anyway, but I like it with just the slightest hint of al dente. And the skin adds an extra bite to the texture, too.

[japple]

1. The last picture is gorgeous--looks delicious. I've never eaten

roasted chestnuts, but I love all squashes. Have never tried kabocha as they never appear in my grocery store except early fall. Then they have a waxy coating and are clearly intended to be part of an autum decoration.

[Duer 157099]

3. That photo isn't mine, just one I found on the net, but that's essentially how mine looked

Although, without the seeds and stuff. In fact, mine looked pretty dried out after they had sat out at room temp for awhile, almost like dried fruit, which is why I was thinking "finger food." But the texture was wonderful, and the flavor outstanding.

I love all squashes and have tried many varieties. Prior to this, the Delicata had been my favorite, but no more!

Try it and report back how you like it :D

[madmax]

2. Oh my, that looks soooo good!

I love chestnuts but, they are pricey. I think I'll try this. Thank you.

[Duer 157099]

4. The closest thing I've found, and at a mere fraction of the price

I adore chestnuts, have since childhood :hi:

[madmax]

5. We would have them at Christmas - sometimes

depended on the money situation. :hi:

You brought back memories :hug:

[Retrograde]

9. I remember roasted chestnut sellers downtown when I was a kid

(That's sellers of roasted chestnuts, not roasted sellers of chestnuts) They sold them on the street corners of downtown Buffalo around Christmas time. I last saw one in Manhattan in the mid 70s, but they all seem to have vanished since. Chestnuts show up in one local grocery in December: we made a wonderful cream of chestnut soup. However, they all disappeared by the first of the year.

I can fined canned chestnuts and chestnut flour year round, at a price, which is ironic since one of my Italian cookbooks claims they used to be the food of the poor. IIRC, most of the edible chestnut trees in the eastern US succumbed to disease long ago, and the horse chestnut makes a poor substitute. All we have out here is the California buckeye, which is in the same family (depending on which reference you use), and a really poor substitute, being toxic.

[Denninmi]

6. Here is another amazing squash.

Black Futsu, also a Japanese variety of winter squash. It's also extremely "nutty" in flavor and texture.

http://www.theproduceguide.com/doitem.php?pnum=302

I don't know how easy these would be to find -- I grow my own squash, so I don't pay that much attention to what is available in markets.

[Duer 157099]

7. Gee, that one even actually *looks* like a chestnut!

I've never seen one, but I'll keep on the lookout, just in case, thanks. :thumbsup:

[tigereye]

8. well, that's pretty wild!

I do chestnut stuffings for Thanksgiving, and there are occasionally a few moldy ones, but usually I've been lucky. And they taste so good.

Good to know of a similarly tasting alternative! :D

[MrMickeysMom]

10. Here's the nutritional count:

An abundance of beta carotene,
Along with vitamin C, iron and potassium.
Also present are folic acid, calcium, and trace B vitamins.

I may look for these just based on that!

[kestrel91316]

11. I bought some of these at our local grocery - excellent - and the real thing:

http://www.ohnuts.com/buy.cfm/bulk-nuts-seeds/chestnuts-2/peeled-roasted-52-oz

[Duer 157099]

12. I'd try those if I found them locally

There was another brand, can't think of it at the moment, that I did try last November and they were awful.

[hippywife]

13. I've tried chestnuts once

and really didn't care for them. They weren't bad, just didn't excite me too much. But one of my friends grows sunshine kabocha and we used them to make pies. Much tastier than pumpkin and lots less stringy so it purees nicer than a pumpkin.

Enjoy! :hi: