Hazelnuts, Whatcom County, WA and Willamette Valley, OR

Commonly known as a "filbert," hazelnuts have been harvested around the world for more than 5,000 years. Oregon accounts for 90+ percent of all hazelnut production in the United States today. That's mostly from the Willamette Valley. But also a large producer is my county, Whatcom County. How glorious to have ended up in an area where my favorite nut (well, I do love cashews too) is local, plentiful, and very affordable.

Celebrating that, I've discovered these websites which has hazelnut recipes from appetizers to flour substitutes to desserts: Oregon Hazelnut Industry or Ken & June's Hazelnuts in Oregon or Oregon Orchard

Tonight I prepared the following recipe, and my goodness, it was scrumptious, scrumptious:

Spicy Chicken and Hazelnut Enchiladas

• 1 lb fresh or 1 12-ounce can tomatillos
•  2 cloves garlic, peeled
•  2 jalapeño peppers, seeded (about 2 teaspoons... or more!)
•  2 tablespoons cilantro leaves
•  2 tablespoons onion
•  2/3 cup sour cream (or 1/3 cup sour cream, 1/3 cup plain yogurt)
•  1 tablespoon honey
•  1/4 teaspoon salt
•  1/3 cup canned diced green chilies, drained
•  8 corn tortillas (don't even think about wheat for these)
•  2 cups cooked shredded chicken
•  2 cups shredded jack cheese
•  2 to 3 cups coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts

Yield: 6 servings

If using fresh tomatillos, prepare by washing and removing husks. Place in sauce pan, cover with water, and simmer until tender, about 5 to seven minutes; drain. If using canned tomatillos, drain and discard the liquid.

Sauce:
Mince garlic, jalapeños, cilantro, and onion in a food processor or blender. Add drained tomatillos, sour cream, honey, and salt; puree. Mix in green chilies and set aside.

Tortillas:
Soften tortillas either by wrapping in foil and placing in hot oven until warm, or by covering loosely with plastic wrap and placing in microwave oven until heated.

Divide chicken among the tortillas, add about two tablespoons each of sauce and cheese. Sprinkle each with about 2 teaspoons chopped hazelnuts, and roll tortilla around the filling.

Pour 1/4 of the remaining sauce in the bottom of a greased 9 x 12 baking dish. Place filled enchiladas in the dish, seam side down, and pour remaining sauce over top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and then with hazelnuts.

Bake in 350º oven until heated through, about 20 minutes.