Elizabeth Barrette
Mabon is the fall equinox, when light and dark hang in balance. It’s a rustic holiday, and it finds echoes in many harvest festivals around the world. The bounties of field and forest are brought in to stock against the long winter.
Hazelnut Salmon Fillets
Legend says that the Salmon of Wisdom feasted on the hazelnuts that fell into its sacred pool, and thus eating the salmon conveyed all of that wisdom. This quick, simple dish combines those two ingredients, creating a sweet crust of hazelnut crumbs over tender, flaky fish.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5–6 minutes
Servings: 6
sea salt
black pepper
12 hazelnuts
6 salmon fillets
Sprinkle sea salt and black pepper lightly over the salmon fillets.
Grind 12 hazelnuts in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder to produce a coarse meal. Distribute the hazelnut meal over the salmon fillets.
If you have a folding grill, simply heat it up, put the salmon inside, and cook for 5 minutes. If using a charcoal grill, you will need to flip the fillets; cook for 2–3 minutes per side.
Spiced Nuts
Many edible nuts and seeds ripen at this time of year. While delicious fresh, they taste even better when roasted and seasoned. Warming spices and salty ingredients make this recipe ideal for cool weather.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes, plus 12–15 minutes
Servings: 16
olive oil cooking spray
1 cup almonds
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 cup macadamia nuts
1/2 cup Brazil nuts
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup walnut halves
1/4 cup hazelnuts
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons pistachios
2 tablespoons pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon green peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon grains of paradise
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (Margarine won’t set, and you will be left with nuts swimming in spicy syrup.)
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon spirulina
(For a nut-free version, simply replace those with equivalent or slightly smaller quantities of seeds.)
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with olive oil or another cooking spray.
For this recipe, you need unsalted nuts and seeds removed from their shells, as you will be adding salt later. Measure out the nuts and seeds one type at a time, examining them to make sure there are no hard shells or other debris. For those that have a papery husk around them, gently rub with a clean cotton dishcloth to remove any loose husks. Otherwise, the spice mixture will adhere to the husks instead of the nuts themselves.
In a large bowl, combine 1 cup almonds, 1/2 cup peanuts, 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, 1/2 cup Brazil nuts, 1/4 cup cashews, 1/4 cup walnut halves, 1/4 cup hazelnuts, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 2 tablespoons pistachios, 2 tablespoons pepitas (pumpkin seeds), 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, and 2 tablespoons sesame seeds. Stir gently to mix them together.
In a small nonstick skillet, combine 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1/2 teaspoon green peppercorns, and 1/2 teaspoon grains of paradise. Toast them carefully over low heat, stirring constantly, until they just begin to darken in color and grow more fragrant. Pour them out of the skillet into a small bowl and let them cool. Then grind them with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Pour the ground spices back into the small bowl.
To the small bowl of ground spices, add 1 teaspoon ginger and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Stir to combine all the spices evenly.
In a small nonstick skillet, put 3/8 cup unsalted butter and heat until melted. Add 1/4 cup of firmly packed brown sugar. Stir gently until the sugar melts into the butter.
Pour the ground spice mixture into the skillet of melted butter and whisk everything together. Make sure there are no lumps to avoid an excessive concentration of spices.
Add the sea salt and the spirulina to the melted butter 1/4 teaspoon at a time, alternating the two salty ingredients. Taste as you go, until the spiced butter is as salty as you want it. (Remember that both the salt and the spices will get diluted as they spread across the nuts later.) Typically you will need about 1 teaspoon of sea salt and 1 teaspoon of spirulina to flavor the 4 cups of assorted nuts and seeds.
Pour the spiced butter over the mixed nuts. Stir gently until all of the nuts are coated with spiced butter.
Scrape the spiced nuts onto the rimmed baking sheet and spread them out. It’s okay if the tiny seeds stick to the big nuts, but try to keep the big nuts from touching each other. (If the baking sheet is small, you may need to cook them in batches.) Bake the spiced nuts at 375°F, stirring every 5 minutes until they turn golden and fragrant. It typically takes 12–15 minutes.
Remove the pan and set it on a rack to cool. The nuts will be hot and sticky at first. As soon as they cool enough to eat safely, taste-test them. As long as they remain sticky, you can still adjust the flavor by sprinkling and stirring. Eventually they will dry out and be ready to eat.
The exact serving size of nuts and seeds varies by type, but 1/4 cup is a good serving size for mixed nuts. By that measure, this recipe makes 16 servings. A lovely way to present spiced nuts is to buy cupcake liners in Mabon colors or themes, like autumn leaves. A standard cupcake liner will comfortably hold 1/4 cup of spiced nuts.
Corn and Bean Salad
In the harvest season, many grains and legumes ripen. A few summer vegetables remain. The corn and beans combine to make this a hearty side dish or a vegetarian main dish. Fresh tomatoes and green onions brighten the flavor.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Servings: 12
1 can (15 ounces) yellow kernel corn
1 can (15 ounces) white kernel corn
1 can (15 ounces) black beans
1 can (15 ounces) white navy beans
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 bunch green onions (about 1 cup chopped)
4 tablespoons maple vinegar
4 tablespoons maple syrup
4 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Open 1 can yellow kernel corn and 1 can white kernel corn. Drain them and pour the corn kernels into a large bowl.
Open 1 can black beans and 1 can white navy beans. Rinse the beans, drain them, and add them to the bowl.
Wash 2 large tomatoes and dice them to bean size. Add them to the bowl. Wash 1 bunch green onions and chop them to bean size (about 1 cup). Add them to the bowl. Stir gently to combine.
In a small bowl, whisk together 4 tablespoons maple vinegar, 4 tablespoons maple syrup, 4 tablespoons sunflower oil, and 1 tablespoon lime juice until smooth and creamy.
To the small bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. Whisk to combine.
Pour the dressing over the corn and bean salad. Gently stir the salad until everything is coated. Snip fresh cilantro to make a generous topping (about 1/2 cup).