Monday, January 16th, 2011

Walnuts

Here are the walnuts

that hang from the tree

that grows next door

and towers over

the neighbour's woodshed.

Late in the fall the tree is luxuriously laden

and the walnuts loosen themselves from the branches

and roll down the roof of the woodshed,

bouncing over the ledge and hiding

in the grasses that grow along

the few feet that divide us

from the neighbour's fence.

I imagine that in the spring the

nut hatch will find a noisy heaven

amongst the branches of this generous tree

but in the meantime.......

You see them - small and dry, with their hard black coats split,  but I would imagine still harbouring

the Jaglone that dyes a wonderful variety of earthy browns, depending upon how

long they are stewed and if a mordant is used, and also what kind of mordant.

My days of dyeing wool are long past, although I have a wonderful

remembrance of them in sample skeins that along with my other weaving

and spinning paraphernalia are now mostly decorative.

Still, the memory of those exciting days, gathering materials, watching the wool absorb

the dyes of such a great variety of natural plants, and change before

your eyes with different mordants - all those memories still warm my heart

and make me grateful for the richness they brought to my life.

I picked up all the walnut hulls that fell on our side of the fence

and they sat for a few months in the garage until Charles,

dear one that he is, decided to crack them all and retrieve the nuts.

They are now drying in a basket to keep them fresh and edible

although I just might use them all up before they have time to get

rancid, as old walnuts are wont to do!

I have had to put them out of my reach so that I won't dip into

the basket each time I pass it and pop one of these lovely golden nuts into my mouth.

I have found an enticing traditional Greek dessert recipe

that uses one and one half cups of walnuts and little flour.  If, when I try it,

it is as delicious as it looks, I will share the recipe with you!