Tough to crack

They're kind of old fashioned and a bit of work, but black walnuts' fleeting flavor is worth the trouble. They grow mainly in the Eastern states, but we have a few old trees here. If you can find them, harvest now. Download an app like Grabafruit to see if anyone has registered a tree. Otherwise, look for the rather ugly blackish fruits on the ground—and wear gloves. Pick the less mushy ones and scrape off the hull. Use a hammer to open the shells, then rinse the nuts well. Once they're toasted, add to fudge, cookies or your morning oatmeal.