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     So..."Oregon Hazelnut Country - the Food, the Drink, the Spirit," is barely 90 days old and already I'm fiddling with the recipes. We'll say it's for the second edition. But in truth, necessity was the mother of invention in the case of my newly adapted recipe for Butter-Roasted Hazelnuts with Thyme.

   Here's the back story. Months ago, while the book's photographer Karl Maasdam and I were in one of our photo shoots, Karl mentioned that his studio, which was undergoing major renovations, was going to be completed just in time for one of the town's popular downtown events, Rhapsody in the Vineyards. It's a day when regional wineries come to town and hang out in stores. Folks walk around, wine glass in hand, and sample lots of well-crafted vino.

      Anyway, Karl thought it would be fun to set up a book signing for that day. In preparation, I had cooked up several batches of Hot and Sugary Roasted Hazelnuts with Rosemary and Cayenne. It's a popular treat that goes over big at my signings, thanks to the recipe's sophisticated-but-approachable nature.

     But by thursday night I was having second thoughts. The winery that would be joining us that saturday was Nuthatch Cellars (www.nuthatchcellars.com), owned by John Bacon and Jane Smith. They're known for their big reds: Malbec, Tempranillo, Syrah, and Carmenere. My fear was that my "big nut" recipe, loaded with sinus-blowing cayenne pepper and robust rosemary, was going to overpower John's beautifully crafted wines. So I tabled the Hot and Sugary nuts and adapted a recipe from the following page, the Butter Roasted Hazelnuts with Thyme. The original recipe is very pure; just butter, nuts, salt, and thyme. But I decided that the nuts for the wine walk should have a very light glaze, which would create a deeper toastiness and become the perfect bridge between the nuts and the wine. So I glugged a scant tablespoon of corn syrup on top of the small chunk of butter, then placed it in the preheating oven so the butter could melt while I went outside to trim a handful of fresh thyme from the garden. I tumbled 3 cups of nuts into the pan, tossed them around so they were well coated with the butter/thyme/corn syrup mixture, and let them bake for about 20 minutes. The smell was heavenly. I knew I had a winner.

     And boy was it the right call! The understated herbal note from the fresh thyme, merging with the rich buttery-glazed and toasted nuts was the perfect compliment to Nuthatch's delectable collection of wines. So here's the recipe. Keep it in mind when you're serving rich red wines, such as those produced by Nuthatch, as well as the Pacific Northwest's fabulous Pinot Noir. It would also compliment a fruity Zinfandel, or rich Cabernet Sauvignon.

     I'm also going to include the recipe for the Hot and Sugary Roasted Hazelnuts with Rosemary and Cayenne. It's only fair, since I talked about them. Enjoy!

   JR-D

     Butter-Roasted Hazelnuts with Thyme (Variation #2)

   Makes 3 cups.

2 tablespoons butter

1 scant tablespoon light corn syrup

3 cups roasted and skinned hazelnuts

1/2 teaspoon popcorn salt, more to taste

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the butter and corn syrup in the center of a baking pan and heat the mixture in the preheating oven. When the butter has melted, remove the pan from the oven. Add the hazelnuts and stir the mixture with a flat-sided spatula (or a dough scraper) to incorporate the butter, syrup, and thyme. Bake until the nuts reach a dark golden brown and the butter and corn syrup have caramelized, stirring every 5 to 7 minutes with the wide spatula or dough scraper, for about 20 minutes total baking time.

     While the nuts are roasting, spread a large sheet of parchment paper on a cutting board. When the nuts are done, remove the pan from the oven and scrape them out onto the paper, spreading them out so cool.

     Recipe adapted from "Oregon Hazelnut Country - the Food, the Drink, the Spirit," by Jan Roberts-Dominguez

      Hot and Sugary Roasted Hazelnuts with Rosemary and Cayenne

   Makes 3 cups.

   These are an exquisite nibble! The rosemary compliment the toasty undertones with the caramelized sugar and hazelnuts. And the small bit of cayenne just keeps the experience alive a little longer! Place these out at happy hour and your guests will be very happy indeed.

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

3 cups lightly roasted and skinned hazelnuts

1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the butter and corn syrup in the center of a rimmed baking sheet and warm in the oven until the butter has melted. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, combine the hazelnuts, brown sugar, rosemary, salt, and cayenne. Transfer the mixture to the baking pan, stirring the mixture again with a flat-sided spatula to incorporate the butter and syrup. Bake until the sugar melts and caramelizes around the nuts, stirring every 5 minutes with a wide spatula or a pastry scraper, for about 20 minutes total baking time.

   While the nuts are roasting, spread a large sheet of parchment paper on a cutting board. When the nuts and coating have darkened, remove the pan from the oven and immediately scrape them out onto the paper, quickly spreading the nuts out so they don't touch each other for the most part. Allow them to cool and then break them apart as desired into single nuts or clusters.

   The pieces should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container, in which they can be kept for several weeks.