During a vigorous, four-hour hike in the beautiful mountains of Tuscany, I dug into my backpack for a small bag of nuts in hopes of reviving my energy. As I devoured the first handful of this mixture,I was met with a burst of flavor, a little heat, and tastes of one of my favorite superfoods—goji berries. I wasn’t sure if my hunger was influencing my palate, but when I caught up with my husband, he was as happy with his snack as I was with mine—a good sign that it really was as delicious as I had thought.
Determined to create my own version of the Ranch at Palazzo Fiuggi’s nut mix, I dictated flavor notes into my phone as I marched on and was thrilled that the Ranch shared their recipe—which I tweaked slightly for my palate and personal health goals. Snacking on nuts is something I do every day, to keep from reaching for the chips—so it needs to be both healthful and satisfying to ensure I stick with this nourishing habit.
The Ranch at Palazzo Fiuggi is a sister program to The Ranch at Malibu, a luxury wellness and fitness retreat, and it is set in the town of Fiuggi, renowned for its healing waters. While we were not relishing the idea of a vegan, gluten free, alcohol free week in Italy, we were pleasantly surprised by the plant-based, organic, and locally sourced foods presented to us, and grateful for inspiration for this recipe.
Yields: 2 1/2 Cups