Chestnuts

On New Year's Day I was hiking in Marin County (near Fairfax, off Bolinas Road) and picked up some nuts that looked like chestnuts.  They were bitter to taste, so I brought them home and baked them in the oven for a while.  Now they have a more mellow taste, though I am still finding them somewhat bitter.  Seems like there is lots of natural oils in these nuts.  I did a little research before I began chewing (just to make sure I wouldn't poison myself).  I found a wikipedia entry but not much else.  I thought they were Japanese chestnuts.  Then I asked a friend and he said they are california buckeye, a seed that is considered poisonous.  Wooops!

Next time, I'll try to leach them first, like the Indians did, to remove the toxins.