I had never been to a farm till I met my husband.  Sure, I had been to the occasional petting zoo or strawberry field in my suburban hometown.  But my first real farm experience was the first time I visited Nick’s parents at their cherry and walnut ranch in Stockton, California.

Nick gave me a tour of the ranch on a four-wheeler, weaving in and out of rows of cherry and walnut trees.  I fed their goats and visited the chicken coop.  I remember having banana-walnut pancakes for breakfast and a cherry pie my sister-in-law baked for dessert.  I thought it was so neat that the the ingredients came straight from their farm.

My mother-in-law, Jackie, gave me a huge bag of walnuts from her trees on our trip to Sea Ranch.  She then taught me how to make these chocolate-covered treats inspired by her favorite candy at See’s.

The walnuts were of the Chandler variety, grown widely for their large meats and mild taste.  The nuts also come out of their shells in halves real easily.  We used bittersweet chocolate chips here, but you can use semisweet or white chocolate chips if you like.  I think it’d be delicious to sprinkle some shredded coconut on top while the nuts are drying.

These are the perfect finger food for a party.  You can also wrap them in cellophane bags tied with pretty ribbons as gifts and favors.

I like to incorporate the richness and crunch of walnuts in my cooking.  I sprinkle them on salads, grind them up for pesto and add them to cookies and breads.   I can’t wait to experiment with all the walnuts Jackie gave me.  I know that every recipe I make will remind me of that first trip to the ranch and of all the wonderful times I’ve spent with everyone there.