A gourmet gift idea to savor the delicacies from here.
The Holidays are overflowing with magic inoculated in part by all these little pleasures that we offer and that we allow ourselves. We will show you one a week between now and Christmas, to add some pomp to the ordinary. This week: black walnut oil.
25 years ago, Alain Perreault bought the land from his parents with his brother Yvan, who is a mycologist and specialist in wild edibles. Guided by the idea of revaluing the family land, the duo then planted the first specimens of a hazelnut grove spread over 35 acres in Saint-Ambroise-de-Kildare, north of Joliette, and on which now grows a variety of Nordic nuts. : hickory, oak, chestnut and, above all, hazelnuts and black walnut trees, which constitute the bulk of the production.
“The nuts that are available on the market grow in Mediterranean climates where there is very little frost and temperature fluctuations,” emphasizes Alain Perreault. Trees that produce nuts are generally not compatible with roller coaster weather like ours. The producer defies these constraints with native species or hybridized essences which ensure a satisfactory production of nuts.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY AU JARDIN DES NOIX
Black walnut oil
The black walnut is the champion of the Lanaudière hazelnut grove. The house extracts an oil that compares to that of walnuts and whose spicy taste lends itself to dishes or starters with strong flavors: an endive salad with Roquefort or a tartare, gives the producer as an example. It is used in vinaigrette, as a finish on grilled vegetables and to give “oumph” to risotto or pasta, he suggests.
The black walnut oil from Au Jardin des Nuts is produced in a traditional way and in limited quantities. To have the opportunity to get hold of it between now and the holidays, a visit to the L’Assomption Christmas Market – “one of the most beautiful in Quebec”, assures Alain Perreault – is a must. You can also get a gift certificate for the Au Jardin des Nuts boutique on the producer’s website, while waiting to be able to visit the orchard in mid-May and attend one of the workshops on nuts, mushrooms and other wild edible products offered by the house.