GLOW

With so many restrictions to my diet, it's easy to end up eating a lot of the same food source, all of the time. After discovering that I was highly sensitive to peanuts, walnuts, pecans and almonds, and finding that I really couldn't acquire the taste for brazil nuts, cashews became my go-to protein snack. This was a fine solution until my body decided to reject them to an extent as well, a consequence of my eating a couple pounds of them a week for a series of months. Last year around this time, I spied some chestnuts at the farmer's market, and decided to give them a go. Unfortunately, my first bag became covered in white mold within 24 hours, so I returned next week for another try, but discovered after roasting them that they were rotten on the inside. Chestnuts aren't the cheapest treat, so I gave up for the season.

Today, I had better luck. I only grabbed a few this time, and roasted them soon after I was home. Mine roasted until the flesh was soft, and the texture and flavor really reminded me of a sweeter, denser potato. Since my body doesn't tolerate potatoes very well, I thought I'd try making myself a quick mock version of a dish I often crave: home fries. Delicious! They came out quite crispy on the edges, which is how I prefer my home-fries; perhaps if the chestnuts were steamed rather than roasted, they might come out a bit more tender? If I experiment with that method, I will let you know. Enjoy!

POTATO-FREE HOME FRIES

ROASTED CHESTNUTS (I followed the instructions here)
OLIVE OIL
FRESH HERBS OF YOUR CHOICE (I used rosemary and thyme)
SEA SALT TO TASTE

OPTIONAL: GARLIC, SHALLOTS OR ONIONS (No allium for me!)

HEAT A FRYING PAN (I used a non-stick one, I'm sure cast iron would be wonderful!), AND ADD A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF OLIVE OIL TO COAT THE PAN. QUARTER THE CHESTNUTS, AND ADD THEM TO THE PAN WITH THE HERBS AND SEA SALT. COVER, AND OCCASIONALLY STIR TO TOAST EVENLY. COOK TO DESIRED CRISPINESS.