The green almond is a perfect example of a "blink and you'll miss it" ingredient. Chef Harry Posner of Tomat, a new restaurant in Westchester, is half-Persian and was born in LA although he grew up in England. He remembers his parents and grandparents sitting around playing backgammon each spring, snacking on green almonds dipped in salt and lime. That crunchy, fruity, sour taste is a pure hit of nostalgia, and as a chef, he uses those flavors in an aguachile. The almonds are served raw in the dish but they can also be poached in olive oil and preserved. What do they taste like? Imagine an unripe peach that lacks sweetness but has a citric acid kick.
Chef Harry Posner (left) and his wife, Natalie, operate Tomat in Westchester.. Photo by Zsuzsi Steiner.
Elizabeth and her husband, George, of Yemetz Farms are relatively new to the Santa Monica Farmers Market. They bring down almonds from their family farm in Merced County. George's family has been growing almonds since the early 1980s. Getting their organic certification required jumping through many hoops with multiple inspections to test the soil and air.
Nonpareil almonds, the most recognizable variety, have a sweetness. The carmel almond has a chewier bite. The Shasta tree produces a bigger nut. Elizabeth says much like grapes for wine, the taste of these varieties changes every year depending on temperature and rainfall.
Green almonds are entirely edible and their fuzzy exterior becomes the hull once the nut matures. Photo by Gillian Ferguson.
She explains that the gelatinous center of the green almond is what will become the mature almond. The ring around that will become the shell, and the fuzzy exterior eventually develops into the hull. While they're green, the entire almond can be consumed. Fresh and crisp, it reminds her of a Granny Smith apple. In addition to Yemetz Farms, Fat Uncle Farms will offer green almonds at Sunday's Hollywood Farmers' Market and next Wednesday in Santa Monica.