Black Walnut Bread

The Recipe: A loaf of lemon quick bread, bright with citrus and smoky with black walnuts, Missouri's much treasured nutmeats, so difficult to harvest. At Christmas, I jumped on the chance to purchase husked, shelled and picked native Missouri black walnuts. Knowing how difficult it is to extract the meat from black walnuts, I wanted to use them in a way that would highlight their distinctive flavor. This recipe is the first keeper, one that pairs black walnuts with lemon. The walnuts came from a friend of a friend whose parents wile away winter evenings in front of the television with industry: shelling black walnuts. It's tedious work but generates a little cash, an old-timer's practice that's likely to slowly die off, what with the digital distractions of Netflix and Facebook. Really, who has time for shelling walnuts? Sigh. It's not easy to find black walnuts, even in Missouri. Believe it or not, the most reliable source is Sam's Club, usually righ