chestnut puree

We made baked zucchini with chestnut puree (I made the puree and he made everything else :), and pan-seared chicken with paprika and turmeric on a bed of shirataki noodles (made from konjac root). They are gluten and grain free; basically a vegetable noodle. So good.

I had never had chestnuts before, so when I found some at my local co-op I bought about 1/4 lb. I found instructions to roast them in the oven (maybe 30-40 minutes) until the shells are crisper and then popped them off. The nut inside is still hard and inedible at this point. I saw recipes to make a puree or make them roasted. I went with the puree: boiled in chicken broth for close to an hour (had to replenish the broth several times). Then blended with heavy cream, and a smidge nutmeg and salt. Wow is the taste - rich, creamy, savory, and surprising. The consistency is like hummus, so they paired well with crackers. We also combined with the zucchini based on the recipe I used. (recipe courtesy of Sally Fallon Morell's Nourishing Traditions cookbook.)