Power Food

{ POWER FOOD } The Healthy Hazelnut

It’s small, round and bursting with benefits, not to mention that famous flavor.

A favorite option in flavored coffee? Yup. Basis for Italian Baci chocolates? Sure. A key ingredient (though outranked in quantity by sugar and palm oil) in the popular spread Nutella? You bet. But the hazelnut is also simply a helluva nut, a compact little blast of nutrition all by itself, with a distinctive sweet taste.

Also called the filbert (perhaps because it ripens around St. Philibert’s Day, an August feast day named for a seventh-century French abbot) and known to science as Corylus avellana, the hazelnut is the fruit of the hazel tree, which is unusual in that it blooms and pollinates in mid-winter. Ancient Chinese scriptures listed it as one of five sacred nourishments God gave humans, to be used medicinally and as a tonic. The Greek physician Dioscorides recommended the hazelnut to help cure colds and grow hair on heads beset with baldness. (Of course, he no longer has a practice.)

Oregon’s Willamette Valley accounts for 99.9 percent of U.S. hazelnut production, but this country’s output is dwarfed by that of Turkey, which provides more than two-thirds of the world’s supply. Top percapita hazelnut consumers? The Swiss.

POWER UP

You can’t spell “nutrition” without those first three letters, and the protein-rich hazelnut gives meaning to that coincidence. A one-ounce serving (about 21 nuts) has 2.7 grams of dietary fiber (roughly 11 percent of your daily requirement), which can help lower your cholesterol levels and keep you regular. That same serving furnishes 25 percent of your daily need for copper, which helps the body produce energy and absorb iron for making blood cells, and 90 percent of your manganese. Manganese aids bone building, blood clotting and sex hormones; it’s a big component in an enzyme that fights free radicals, which can harm cell membranes and contribute to aging and possible cancer.

Hazelnuts can’t turn an unhealthy lifestyle around all by themselves, but they’re a nice sweet treat (which is why they’re commonly paired with chocolate) that’s relatively low in carbs and good for a diet with a low glycemic index. They’re high in Vitamin E, an antioxidant that may help ward off cancer, and oleic acid, which may help reduce inflammation. And while there’s no hard data on hazelnuts’ hair-growth potential (sorry, Dioscorides), they’re a no-guilt munch—or ingredient—that can make even bald years brighter. organization dedicated to hazelnuts, if you’re really nuts for this stuff.

Nuts are more vulnerable when shelled, so be sure to eat any hazelnuts you shell with relative immediacy. Keep hazelnuts in relatively cool areas; they can usually last up to six months in the fridge, and in the freezer about a year. Hazelnuts gone bad will usually show; if you’re unsure, check for visible mold, a whitish covering or a rancid, paint-like odor.

Nuts are generally good as they are; you can eat them raw. You can roast them in a shallow pan (removing the skins in the process) if you really want to bring out their flavor, although they won’t keep as long that way, so have at them and eat them while they’re good. Hazelnuts can sometimes be added to a salad or a seafood dish. Look online and you’ll find recipes for hazelnut pralines; the nuts also an excellent flavoring if processed and used in a cookie, a cake or a tart for when you want to take a vacation from minding your health. Even hazelnuts need a break. —Brian Kelley

BUY/STORE/SERVE:

Hazelnuts can be purchased at your local supermarket or farmer’s market. Specialty hazelnuts, for the ritzy nut shopper, may be ordered from online retailers. The state of Oregon has a whole site and whole

DID YOU KNOW? A hazelnut tree can produce nuts until it’s more than 100 years old, feeding families for generations.

Be There

In-person events are back in full swing! Here are 10 that are filled with fun, laughter and entertainment—and will help you safely return to normal.

JUNE 6

Enjoy a day of golf while helping homeless working families at the 23RD ANNUAL

FAMILY PROMISE

GOLF OUTING

AT EDGEWOOD

COUNTRY CLUB

in River Vale. Lunch begins at 11:30 a.m., and the first golf pairing will tee off at 12:30 p.m. The festivities continue after play with cocktail hour, dinner, a program and a silent auction. Tickets are $475 for an individual golfer (swag bag included), or $1,800 for a group of four. Proceeds will benefit Family Promise’s programs. Learn more and register at bergenfamilypromise.org.

JUNE 12

Celebrate the local arts scene and donate to the cause at the RIDGEWOOD SYMPHONY

ORCHESTRA SPRING FUNDRAISER, an annual event that celebrates classical music in North

Jersey. Enjoy dinner, live music and good company at It’s Greek to Me in downtown

Ridgewood from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $80 a head, $50 of which is tax-deductible.

Learn more about the event and RSO’s mission at ridgewoodsymphony.org.

JUNE 12

It’s street fair season, and kicking off a summer of them in Bergen County is the MONTVALE STREET FAIR. The 11th annual event hosted by the Montvale Chamber of Commerce will turn Paragon Drive into one giant party from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring more than 25 food vendors, live music and kids’ activities including face painting, clowns and games. Get the scoop at festivalnet.com.

JUNE 12

Bring your vehicle-loving little dude (and pops) to the 11th annual CAR, TRUCK & MOTORCYCLE SHOW at Northern Valley Demarest High School in Demarest. From 10 a.m.–3 p.m., enjoy food, a DJ, prizes, raffles and a trophy ceremony for best in show. The Police Pipe and Drums of Bergen County will open the show. Spectators are free, but if you want to register your vehicle, it’s $25 at the door. Facebook.com/ northernvalleypbacarshow/ has the details.

JUNE 14 & 28

The Olympics are still happening in Bergen County thanks to MIDLAND

PARK LIBRARY’S SPECIAL OLYMPICS YOUNG

ATHLETES. Children ages 2-7 of all abilities can learn sports skills, sportsmanship and just have fun after school on the two Tuesdays from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. Masks are required until further notice. Go to midlandparklibrary.org for more.

JUNE 16

“I said at the end of the last tour that I’d see you next time,” Paul McCartney said. “I said I was going to get back to you. Well, I got back!” That explains the name of The Beatles icon’s GOT BACK TOUR, which is coming for one epic performance at MetLife Stadium. McCartney will perform hours-worth of his solo tracks, Wings catalogue and of course, Beatles hits, from “Hey Jude” to “Band on the Run.” The show begins at 8 p.m., and tickets range in price from $82 to more than $400 per seat. Worth it, right? Snag your spot at metlifestadium.com.

JUNE 17-19

Nothing says a relaxing Father’s Day weekend like a soccer tournament with the kids! MAROONS SOCCER CLUB, a competitive youth soccer program in Bergen County, is holding a Father’s Day tournament across various fields in Ridgewood for both boys and girls ages 4-18. Pricing for the game depends on which bracket your child is in— email carolyn@maroonssoccer. com or go to maroonssoccer.com for times and more specifics.

*Editor’s note: Due to COVID-19 restrictions, all events are subject to cancellations or changes. Attendees are encouraged to observe local safety guidelines.

JUNE 18

Why run when you can also bike and swim? That’s the idea behind the WYCKOFF FRANKLIN LAKES TRIATHLON hosted by the Wyckoff YMCA, which for the first time in 40 years of racing features a new 13.1-mile bike route and a 5K run course for 2022. All races take place at the Indian Trail Club in Franklin Lakes and begin at 6:45 a.m.: registration is $120 per person, or $200 for a relay team—but it’s free to show up and cheer everyone on! Visit wyckoffymca.org/raceevents/wyckoff-franklinlakes-triathlon/ for the deets.

JUNE 20

THE CARL INSERRA LEUKEMIA FUND GOLF

OUTING is back for 2022. Held in honor of

Carl Inserra who passed away in 1987 from leukemia, this annual event raises money for awareness and treatment of the disease. It’s held across five golf courses in the area— Arcola, Hackensack, Knickerbocker, White Beeches and Manhattan Woods in nearby West Nyack, N.Y.—where there will be breakfast, tee time and lunch from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. A program and reception will follow from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The Venetian in Garfield. Pricing varies, from $500 for tee time to $750 for the cocktail and awards reception. For more event details and sponsorship levels, check out carlinserraleukemiafund.org.

JUNE 23–JULY 10

Sorry, Memorial Day, but here in Bergen County, the STATE FAIR AT THE MEADOWLANDS is the official mark to the start of summer. For 18 consecutive days, the fair will take over the Meadowlands in

East Rutherford with classic carnival games, food and more than 100 rides including “kiddie land” for the littles. There will also be a fireworks display on July 3 and 4. Tickets are $38.99 for a Fun Pass, which includes admission and most attractions; kids under 36” are free. Visit njfair.com or follow along on Instagram @sfmeadowlands to stay up-to-date.