Mighty impact comes from the smallest of details. That was my biggest “aha!” during my first year experiencing Japan as a university exchange student.
I went on to live there and worked for a Japanese company for seven more years thereafter, and I still speak the language fluently. That early truth became even more ingrained in my worldview as it was proved over time.
You might wonder what attention to tiny details have to do with toasty nuts and summer salads. Applying this philosophy to your cooking overall, and especially to your salads, will transform your garden greens into a scrumptious feast.
It has been 42 years since I was first gifted this ancient Japanese wisdom, yet each day I marvel at how much it matters in everything I do.
At Nashville Social Club, one of the reasons our salads are so in demand for lunch and dinner is that our ranch, bleu cheese, green goddess, peach Dijon, lemon thyme vinaigrette, and honey-tarragon balsamic dressings are handmade in-house.
You should too! Whenever you can spare five extra minutes, Google a recipe and whip one up yourself, rather than buying a bottle. It is a worthwhile way to elevate your salads. Today’s focus is on an even easier method for packing the ultimate flavor punch — toast your nuts! Why does it matter?
Toasting nuts draws the natural oils to the surface, intensifying the rich nutty essence, creating a deeper color, and making the nuts crunchier. Toasting your nuts before adding them to a recipe improves the flavor and texture of any dish.
All it takes is to heat them in a dry skillet for a few minutes to liberate their inner depth of flavor. Transforming plain ol’ raw nuts into a light golden brown makes them so much nuttier, crispier, and yummier!
Before you decide you “don’t have time” for what may seem like an unnecessary step, trust me and try it. My hubby teases me about my freezer door packed full of a selection of raw nuts and seeds, on-hand and ready to toast in a moment’s notice (the freezer keeps them from going rancid over time).
My standbys are sesame seeds, pine nuts, sliced almonds, and walnuts, all of which I select based on the flavor profile of my salad ingredients.
Directions for skillet toasting
Takes about five minutes. Pour a handful of nuts into a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Shake the skillet to get the nuts into a single layer.
Once you smell the nuts toasting (a divine aroma, indeed), or the sesame seeds start “popping,” give the skillet a few good tosses or shakes to get all those puppies moving and toasting uniformly.
Once you see that they are golden and toasty on all sides, pour them out on a plate or paper towel to cool. Shazam! Look at you! You are now a salad-making wonder! Come in for a visit to Nashville and let me know how it’s going for you. Love all y’all.
Kitty McKay is the owner of the Nashville Social Club in Carson City.