The walnut tree has to be one of the most environmentally friendly and versatile trees we know. The average tree produces nuts for approximately 100 years. Once the tree stops bearing fruit, its heavily burled walnut wood is a highly prized veneer used in furniture-making and for dashboards in luxury cars.

A Japanese tire manufacturer uses ground walnut shells to improve the traction of its tires. Ground shells have been used in a variety of industrial abrasives and California walnut growers use the discarded shells to burn as a fuel source to power their facilities. All this before we even start to look at the food value.

As far as nuts go in the diet, I consider walnuts as healthy gems. They contain only 21 grams of polyunsaturated fat and 5.5 grams of monounsaturated fat per half-cup serving. Rich in vitamins and minerals, studies have shown that increasing the intake of walnuts and decreasing the intake of red meat reduces the LDL, or bad cholesterol, levels in men over the short term.

Forget the idea that walnuts can only be served as a sundae topping or baking ingredient. Walnuts are so versatile, the only thing that limits their use is your creativity. They can be added to salads, cooked rice and vegetables, chopped and added as a topping to pastas and sauces. They are also a great complement to fresh fruit and items like pancakes and waffles.

I like to puree them as an ingredient in garlic butter; they help to marry and round out the other tastes of the butter, parsley, paprika and garlic.

Adventurous diners may enjoy walnuts as an ingredient to pizza. Chopped finely, they can be added to the dough to form a wonderful nutty crust or sprinkled over the toppings to add a different twist. A recent trial that was a big hit at my house was a pizza with sliced roma tomatoes, fresh basil, slices of green onions, slivers of vermouth-baked garlic, topped with sprinkled walnuts and grated parmesan cheese. The scent from the oven as the flavour combination baked had noses perked and saliva glands working before the dish hit the table. Needless to say, there were no leftovers!

When buying walnuts, consider freshness. Bulk walnuts should smell fresh and mild, not bitter or musty. Packaged walnuts should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer after the package has been opened.