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I received an e-mail a few weeks ago from a reader named Susan who is looking for a little foodie advice. Here's what she wrote:

I'm new to the area, having lived in the Western half of the country for 30+ years. We moved into a house in Salem last year and have reaped a bountiful harvest of all sorts of fruits and nuts.

... I was hoping you might look into what the heck I could do with chestnuts. I actually got to them before the squirrels this year and have a whole box full of them.

Well, Susan, besides chestnut dressing and roasted chestnuts, I can honestly say I don't know. My own personal experience with chestnuts has not been positive. I don't really enjoy their flavor and I spent too many seasons puncturing my hands through the gloves trying to remove the darn husks from my yard after the squirrels had their way with them.

But "Food Lover's Companion" says they can be roasted, boiled, pureed, preserved and candied; used in desserts or savory sides. You should store unshelled chestnuts in a cool, dry place and refrigerate shelled ones in a covered container, the book said. I also came across a whole Web site about cooking with chestnuts that offers up recipes for soups, breads, desserts and even a sweetened chestnut puree.

If someone brought me a Chocolate Chestnut Tart (recipe below), I might be convinced to rethink my dislike of this ingredient. Does anyone out there have a great chestnut recipe?

Chocolate Chestnut Tart

Makes 50 bite-size tarts

1 1/3 cups rehydrated or fresh chestnuts

1 cup milk

1 cup powdered sugar

4 oz. dark chocolate strips or wafers

2 Tbsp. rum

1 1/4 cup heavy cream

50 mini tart shells (2 inches in diameter each)

In a small saucepan, combine chestnuts, milk and powdered sugar. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 30 minutes or until chestnuts are tender. While the chestnuts are simmering, melt the chocolate in a microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or melt in a double broiler.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Puree the cooked chestnuts, milk, chocolate, and rum in a food processor until smooth. Cool slightly. Whip the cream to soft peaks and then gently fold it into the chestnut-chocolate mix. The mixture will be soft – refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Meantime, poke holes in the bottom of the tart shells, place on a sheet pan and bake for about 7 minutes – until golden brown. Allow to cool completely

When ready to assemble, pipe or spoon the chocolate-chestnut mixture into the tart shells. Garnish with powdered sugar or drizzled chocolate.

Source: www.chestnutsonline.com