Reading November’s Campbell’s Diary, reminds me of the delicious walnuts we used to enjoy when we had a walnut tree in our garden in France.

Reading November’s Campbell’s Diary, reminds me of the delicious walnuts we used to enjoy when we had a walnut tree in our garden in France.   My favourite snacks involve nuts of some kind. Especially with some Roquefort and salad or some goat’s cheese!

Perhaps I have eaten too many of them over the years.  James my youngest son (now 23) has an intense allergy to walnuts that has existed since he was a small boy. He only has to touch one and then raise his fingers to his lips, to give Mick Jagger a run for his money in the lip department! How unfortunate to miss out on one of natures great pleasures.

My love of the walnut extends to my favourite tipple too. Supreme Denoix. I first discovered this delightful ‘digestif’ in a superb restaurant La Garenne in Cahors, SW France.  The dark brown nectar is extremely potent (30%) but is a perfect ‘round-off’ to a meal and deliciously warming on a cold evening.  This drink may also be enjoyed with a lump of ice in summer or poured over ice-cream. Either way, being a ‘digestif’ always makes me feel it is doing something useful as well as delighting my tastebuds.

I have visited the distillery in Brive where this tipple, made from a secretive recipe comes from. The Denoix family has been making liqueur on the same site in Brive for generations.  The staff are friendly and are willing to show you around the shop with its distilling artifacts such as oak casks and shining coppers and they offer you the chance to sample not only L’eau de noix but other delights too. Well worth a visit if you should be visiting Brive….. ……And if anyone would like to share a scrummy walnut based recipe, sweet or savoury, we would be pleased to publish.