It’s chestnut season in New York City and Paris, but Hawai‘i? Check your latitude at the door to Holiday Inn (the movie that gave us “White Christmas,” not the hotel chain). But that’s all to the good, says chef-baker-recipe tinkerer Sharon Kobayashi of Akaimai Foods. This chesty nut has higher aspirations. Like, asparagus. —D.W.

As a kid in the 1970’s, I always felt we were doing “holiday-lite” November thru December.

After all, we had no fireplace for Santa to come down, no sleigh bells ringing or chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Occasionally, my parents did drive into Honolulu from the west side of the island to buy roasted chestnuts at Shirokiya department store (the only place that sold them back then, now closed). They were a treat to share with my grandparents in Waipahu. If my grandfather hadn’t been born in Japan, where he developed a fondness for them, I wouldn’t have known what I was missing.

But that’s not atypical here. Due to our differences in culture bias, climate and distance, people from Hawai‘i are unfamiliar with many foods and traditions commonplace on the mainland. Even now, with all the access air transportation and the internet bring, many local people still do not know what to make of chestnuts.

Taste-testing chestnut recipes at the farmer’s market was challenging because people could not associate what they were eating with a food memory. I found myself describing them as “the potato-like thing in the middle of manju.” Of course, manju (sweet bean filled pastry), everyone knew, and it finally clicked.

It was during my first visit to Italy years ago one October that I re-discovered chestnuts. In cities and towns, street vendors sell bags of huge plump chestnuts freshly roasted in jury-rigged grocery carts. In forests and mountains, wild chestnut trees drip with smaller sized, but equally tasty nuts. Like shiny brown pebbles, they drop to the ground en masse for locals to gather by the cart-full. I finally made the connection between chestnuts and the holidays. Fall is chestnut season! Who knew? Since then, the fall means chestnuts to me.

Fresh chestnuts are time consuming to process, so the recipes here call for peeled, cooked chestnuts in shelf stable bags. The taste is close to that of fresh-cooked, and is an economical alternative. While convenient, there are a few drawbacks to pre-cooked chestnuts: first, they are not very pretty. These are smaller and less photogenic (more brown than yellow) than the fresh. Second, they will soften if cooked in liquid, but become tough if cooked in syrup with high sugar content.

The recipes below make the most of shelf stable chestnuts, while concealing their flaws. You can find shelf stable organic chestnuts at Costco or online. It’s not romantic, but it works. Fat free, a good source of fiber and vitamin C, subtly sweet and smoky, chestnuts are a great addition to your holiday pantry and beyond.

Sautéed Asparagus, Mushroom, and Chestnuts

Shelf stable chestnuts are a pantry staple for me. So, whenever asparagus is on sale and beautiful, chances are I will be reaching for pancetta and mushrooms as well—and chestnuts, of course. Easy and versatile, this recipe is perfect for weekdays, and if you’ve never fried sage (a great herb for growing in Hawai‘i), it is addictive. Frying mellows the pungent leaves and gently perfumes the oil.

The dish you are making is essentially a pan vinaigrette, so serving this over fresh spinach, arugula and/or chicken are obvious (and good) ways to go. Lately, I have been using it as a light sauce over butternut squash and caramelized onion ravioli (Rana brand). Chestnuts enhance the slightly sweet ravioli, and contrast the tangy lemon. However you choose to dish it up, I suggest finishing it with a little shaved Parmesan cheese.

• 3 tbs — olive oil, extra virgin

• 2 oz — pancetta, diced small (or bacon)

• 16 each — sage leaves, fresh (about 2 large sprigs)

• 4 oz — mushrooms, sliced

• 1 lb — asparagus, cut into one-inch pieces

• 2-3 tbsp — lemon juice

• 4 oz — chestnuts, cooked and peeled, cut in halves

• 1 tbsp — Dijon mustard

• 1 tbsp — shallot, minced

• salt and pepper, to taste

Pre-heat a large sauté pan on medium and add the oil, pancetta and sage. Cook till the fat starts to render (about 5 minutes). Add the mushrooms. When the mushrooms start to brown (another 5 minutes) add the asparagus, lemon, chestnuts mustard, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, till the asparagus are crisp-tender (about 4 minutes). Stir in the shallot and immediately transfer to a shallow bowl to prevent the asparagus from over-cooking. Makes about 4 servings.

Easy Brown Rice with Chestnuts

Chestnuts add a subtle sweetness and contrasting texture to rice. This recipe is a quick, fiber rich version of kuri gohan, a fall celebration dish in Japan—lightly seasoned, earthy and satisfying. Buying the furikake (in the Asian food aisle of most Hawaii supermarkets and online) is the most difficult step. Serve it as an accompaniment to meat or fish, or mix in “salmon for maki sushi” (recipe below) for your next potluck.

• 2 cups — brown rice (medium grain)

• 3 ¾ cups — water (adjust depending on your rice cooker)

• 10 oz — chestnuts, cooked and peeled, diced about ½ inch

• 2 tbsp — ochazuke wakame furikake

• 1 tbsp — roasted black sesame seeds

• optional — black sesame seeds mixed with kosher salt for topping

Cook rice and water in a rice cooker or on the stove-top (increase water to 2 cups). Gently fold in the chestnuts, furikake and sesame seeds after the rice is cooked. Let rest at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve hot or at room temperature. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and salt, if desired. Yields about 9 cups.

Salmon for Maki Sushi

Usually made with canned tuna, this is a more elegant version of this versatile condiment. Serve hot or at room temperature as a topping or mix-in for rice (such as kuri gohan), or as a filling for rolled sushi (maki sushi). Use the best quality canned salmon you can find. It might be more expensive, but a little goes a long way.

• 7.5 oz — canned salmon, drained

• 2 tsp — soy sauce

• 1 tsp — sugar

• 1 tbsp — sake

• ½ tsp — rice vinegar

Pre-heat a small non-stick pan on medium heat. Add all of the ingredients and cook, stirring gently, till almost dry. Remove from heat and cool. Yields 1 ¼ cup.

Chestnut and Date Bars

More like a moist layered cake, the soft, maple and date filling melds into a thick layer of chestnuts over a soft walnut cookie crust. Simple, but there are a few keys to success: first, a heavy bottom pan (like Pyrex) insures more even baking. Use fresh dates that are nice and moist. Amber maple syrup is fine, but dark maple syrup (good sources online) is a little less sweet and has richer flavor. Rum or brandy cuts the sweetness, and adds another layer of flavor and moisture. I used spiced rum, but any decent quality one will do. These bars are actually best served the next day, which makes it a great potluck dish. After that, refrigerate any leftovers and re-heat gently in the microwave before eating. It will keep several days. Perfect with tea, this is a grown-up dessert that would make Goldilocks proud: not too sweet, not too rich, but just right.

You will also need an 8 x 8 pan, cooking spray, and a food processor. A small offset spatula is also very helpful.

WALNUT CRUST

• 4 tbsp — butter, unsalted, cut into cubes

• 2 tbsp — sugar

• 1 each — egg, large

• 1 tbsp — lemon juice

• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp — flour, all purpose

• ¼ tsp — salt

• ¼ tsp — baking soda

• ½ cup — walnut halves and pieces

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray the pan with cooking spray and set aside. Add the butter and sugar to a food processor and pulse to cream together. Add the egg and lemon and pulse to combine. Add the flour, salt, baking soda and Walnuts. Pulse a few times till just combined. Spread batter evenly in the pan using an offset spatula. Bake for 20-25 minutes or till light brown. Cool before using. This can be done a day ahead.

DATE FILLING

• 10 oz — chestnuts, cooked and peeled, diced about ¼ inch

• 4 tbsp — butter, unsalted, cut into cubes

• ¼ cup — sugar

• 3 each — eggs, large

• 2 tbsp — flour, all purpose

• pinch — salt

• 1 tsp — vanilla extract

• 5 oz — medjool dates, pitted (about 12)

• ½ cup — pure maple syrup

• 2-4 tbsp — rum or brandy (optional)

Preheat oven to 300°F. Spread chestnuts evenly over the crust. In a food processor, combine butter and sugar and pulse to cream. Add eggs one by one, pulsing to combine after each. Add the flour, salt and vanilla. Pulse to combine and add the dates. Pulse to chop dates into small pieces. Add the syrup and gently pulse to mix. Spread the filling evenly over the chestnuts and bake for about 1 hour 10 minutes (turn half way) or till evenly brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. If using, immediately top with the rum or brandy. Cool, then cut into 12 pieces.

Banner image by Hansjörg Keller. Food photos by the author.