joanne weir

Historically, walnuts haven't been an ingredient that comes to mind often when I'm cooking — I typically eat them out of my hand and in banana bread, but that's about it. But recently, I attended a seminar with cooking host Joanne Weir and the California Walnut Board and Commission, where we enjoyed a walnut-centered lunch. From that broadening meal, I learned so many new ways to incorporate the healthy and delicious nut into more recipes. A few of my favorite takeaways:

• Add chopped toasted walnuts to homemade aioli: I enjoyed a dish of roasted asparagus, boiled eggs, and homemade toasted walnut allioli (Spanish aioli) that was transformative. The chopped walnuts added great texture and crunch to the dish, and complemented the garlicky sauce perfectly.
• Top pizzas with walnuts: The Spanish pizza we enjoyed was topped with walnuts, bringing a delicious crunch and nuttiness to each bite.
• Make walnut butter: Walnut butter is straightforward and simple, and would be great atop crostini as an appetizer.
• Add them to salsa verde: Toasted walnuts bring an earthy flavor to a bright, zesty sauce such as Italian salsa verde. We enjoyed it topped on crispy roasted salmon.

Find more ideas for walnuts when you keep reading.

Recently, we had the chance to break bread with Chef Joanne Weir, from Joanne Weir's Cooking Class, and talk all about Mediterranean ingredients and cooking styles. One of the dishes that she taught us how to make was a Spanish coca, or pizza. The toppings were simple but satisfying: wilted chard with sweet raisins and walnuts.

The result was light and satisfying, with a great combination of sweet and salty flavors. The crunchy texture of the walnuts complemented the wilted greens really well, which served as a great reminder to use this nutritious nut more often.

The recipe includes a simple dough that requires about one hour of rising time, but feel free to use your favorite store-bought pizza dough to make life easier on yourself. Another option is to make the dough ahead of time, freeze it, then take it out to thaw the morning that you plan to make your coca.

Find this simple and straightforward recipe when you keep reading.

Recently, I threw a cherry-themed dinner party, where I highlighted nature's jewel-toned stone fruit. In addition to making cherry pan dowdies, my pièce de résistance was a pork tenderloin that had been butterflied, pounded, stuffed, sliced, and served as a beautiful roulade. The recipe looks lengthy, but don't be deterred by it; you can shave time off by asking your butcher to do the trimming, cutting, and pounding of the pork tenderloin. On top of being pretty to look at, the flavor combinations of this dish — juicy, sweet, fruity, meaty, salty — are spectacular. Serve it on a large platter with asparagus or on top of a bed of sautéed greens. To impress guests at a Summer dinner party, read more.