Volume 12, Issue 056 - March 19, 2007

Good Day Chef,

I hope you all had a great weekend. This week we are going to talk about the peanut industry. Let's get started...

March is National Peanut Month!

March is National Peanut Month—a time to celebrate one of America's favorite foods! Roasted in the shell for a ballpark snack, ground into peanut butter or tossed in a salad or stir-fry, peanuts find their way into everything from breakfast to dessert.

National Peanut Month had its beginnings as National Peanut Week in 1941. It was expanded to a month-long celebration in 1974.

Coincidentally, March is National Nutrition Month—a great time to recognize the nutritional value of peanuts. One serving of peanuts is a good source of protein, vitamin E, niacin, folate, phosphorus and magnesium. Peanuts are naturally cholesterol-free and low in saturated fat.

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Peanuts 101:

Oven Roasted Peanuts

Place raw peanuts, in-shell or shelled, one layer deep in a shallow baking pan. Roast in a 350 degree F oven -- 15 to 20 minutes for shelled and 20 to 25 minutes for in-shell peanuts. (Remove from heat just short of doneness desired, as peanuts continue to cook as they cool.)

Oil Roasted Peanuts

Ingredients:

2 cups raw shelled peanuts
1 1/2 cups peanut oil, or enough to cover peanuts

Preparation:

In an electric skillet, deep fryer or heavy saucepan, heat oil to 350 degrees F. Add peanuts and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until just under doneness desired (they continue to cook as they cool). Drain on paper towels or napkins. Season to taste with salt, seasoned salt, popcorn salt, onion salt or powder, garlic salt or powder, paprika, chili powder, curry powder, Cajun seasoning or parmesan cheese.

Blender Peanut Butter

Makes 1/2 cup creamy or 3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter

Ingredients:

1 cup roasted shelled peanuts
1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil
1/4 teaspoon salt (omit salt if salted peanuts are used)

Preparation:

Place ingredients in blender. With the lid secured, blend until mixture becomes paste-like or spreadable (3 to 4 minutes). If necessary, stop the machine and use a rubber spatula to scrape mixture from the sides of the container back into contact with the blade. Continue blending until desired consistency is reached.

For crunchy peanut butter, stir in 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts after the blending is completed.

Store in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator. Oil may rise to the top. If this occurs, stir before using.

Source: PeanutButterLovers.com

Any Time Is the Right Time for Idaho Potatoes

Do you have a great idea for an Idaho potato recipe? Now is the time to submit your original recipe using at least one pound of fresh Idaho potatoes (or 16 ounces of processed Idaho potatoes) in any one of four categories: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner or Snack/Appetizer. Contest is open to professional chefs, educators of foodservice and culinary students.


Click the button to Enter—time is of the essence!

History of Peanuts:

Peanuts originated in South America, probably in Brazil and Peru. They were grown as far north as Mexico by the time the Spanish began their exploration of the New World. When the explorers returned to Spain, they brought peanuts with them. Later, traders were responsible for spreading peanuts to Africa and Asia.

Records show that in the 1800's peanuts were grown commercially in South Carolina and used for oil, food and a cocoa substitute. However, peanuts were regarded as food for livestock and the poor. They also were difficult to grow and harvest, so they were not widely grown in the USA.

The first notable increase in USA peanut consumption came in 1860 with the outbreak of the Civil War. Soldiers on both sides turned to peanuts for food. They took their taste for peanuts home with them and peanuts were sold freshly roasted by street vendors and at baseball games and circuses. While peanut production rose during this time, peanuts were still harvested by hand, leaving stems and trash in the peanuts. Thus, poor quality and lack of uniformity kept down the demand for peanuts.

Around 1900, labor-saving equipment was invented for planting, cultivating, harvesting and picking peanuts from the plants, as well as for shelling and cleaning the kernels. With these mechanical aids, peanuts rapidly came into demand for oil, roasted and salted nuts, peanut butter and candy.

In 1903, George Washington Carver began his research at Tuskegee Institute. While peanut butter had been developed by then, Carver developed more than 300 other uses for peanuts and improved peanut horticulture so much that he is considered by many to be the "father of the peanut industry." The botanist recognized the value of peanuts as a cash crop and proposed that peanuts be planted as a rotation crop in the Southeast cotton-growing areas where the Boll Weevil insect threatened the region's agricultural base.

Today, peanuts contribute more than four billion dollars to the U.S. economy each year. Americans eat more than 600 million pounds of peanuts and about 700 million pounds of peanut butter each year.

Source: National Peanut Board

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Southern Peanut Butter Soup with Pepper Jelly

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons grated onion
1 celery branch, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup light cream
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped
1/2 cup hot pepper jelly

Preparation:

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat; add onion and celery. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Add flour and mix until well blended. Stir in chicken broth and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat, strain broth. Stir the peanut butter, salt and cream into the strained broth until well mixed. Garnish each serving with a teaspoon of chopped peanuts and a dollop of jelly. Serve hot.

Source: PeanutButterLovers.com