From Jeff Cox

Pistachio trees grow wild across the Middle East and Central Asia, where they were eaten since before recorded history, but were brought into cultivation over the last 5,000 years. Pistachios from abroad come mostly from Iran, but the more southerly reaches of California’s San Joaquin Valley have a prime climate for these trees and produced 302 million pounds of the nuts in 2002 on 83,000 acres. Most of the pistachios you’ll find in the United States come from California.

The Organic Factor
Lots of outlets sell organic pistachios, both grown in California or Nevada and imported. California is the big producer in the United States, and commercial growers use about a million pounds of pesticides of various kinds on the crop, so it’s fortunate that organic nuts are widely available.

Nutrition
The FDA has named pistachios part of a heart-healthy diet (the nuts are 55 percent unsaturated fat). This means that eating a regular portion of tree nuts, including pistachios, may lead to the prevention of heart disease. I’ve been hearing for years what I shouldn’t eat, so it’s nice to hear that something so crunchy and satisfying like pistachios is actually good for you.

Additionally, pistachios are 18 percent protein and are very high in potassium and calcium. Besides that, they’re addicting. A serving is defined as 49 pistachios, about 1 ounce of shelled nuts. Be aware, though, that the serving supplies over 200 calories. The serving also contains more than 10 percent of the Daily Value for fiber, vitamin B6, thiamine, phosphorus, iron, copper, and other trace elements. The nuts are cholesterol-free and the serving contains 13 grams of fat, all but 1.5 grams of which are monounsaturated. Tree nuts like pistachios are one major component of the Mediterranean diet, which is about as tasty and healthy as cuisine gets.

What To Look For
Domestically grown pistachios are usually sold undyed, while imported kinds are often dyed red. Pistachios of an appealing green color are natural and not doctored with dyes. Besides the nuts themselves, you can now buy organic pistachio cream, imported from Italy under the Stramondo label. You can find it online in the gourmet food section of www.amazon.com. It’s just pureed pistachios and organic sugar. Use it like any sweet jam or spread—on toasted breads, scones or muffins. Mixed with cream, it’s ready to make ice cream.

Grilled Organic Veggie Burgers Recipe

Yes, you can buy organic veggie burgers at the store, but how wonderful to make your own—and you know exactly what’s in them. Make a double batch and freeze the patties you won’t use right away. Let them thaw through before cooking. The California Pistachio Commission provided this recipe, and the burgers are delish.

1 cup finely chopped organic pistachios
2 cups coarsely grated organic zucchini
2 (15-ounce) cans red kidney beans, rinsed, drained, and mashed
½ cup freshly grated Romano cheese
½ cup dry bread crumbs
1 egg
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unflavored rice vinegar

Combine the pistachios, zucchini, beans, cheese, bread crumbs, egg, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and salt and mix well. Shape into 6 patties. Whisk together the oil and vinegar, and brush both sides of each patty generously with this dressing. Place the patties in a grill basket with a fine grid. Grill in a covered barbecue for about 5 or 6 minutes, until browned, depending on the heat of the coals. Baste with dressing and flip the grill basket, then cook another 5 or 6 minutes.

Serves 6
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See also Jeff’s A Nutty Time Of Year – Organic Black Walnut And Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
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Jeff Cox is author of The Organic Cook’s Bible and The Organic Food Shopper’s Guide and lives in Sonoma County, California.
Image Credit: © Borut Gorenjak | Dreamstime.com
OrganicToBe.org | OrganicToGo.com
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