WITH GEORGIA PECANS, NO-FUSS SUMMER FEASTING

Just as summer returns, so do favorite warm-weather foods. To make things simple yet delicious requires a little creativity—plus some versatile ingredients that play an essential role. Consider Georgia pecans, for example, which are one of the most all-purpose foods in the pantry. Crunchy, rich-tasting, and ready-to-use, pecans can add texture and flavor to sweet or savory dishes, hot or cold, vegetarian or meat, fish, and poultry dishes. Very few foods can boast of such compatibility in cooking—or availability. Georgia pecans are found in markets year-round, so cooks can count on having them for any dish, any time.

This summer, pecans will find their way into any number of fresh seasonal salads, as the world of the mixed salad continues to expand with an endless assortment of global tastes and textures. The American salad used to be little more than a toss of lettuce and tomato with some bottled dressing, but now, thanks to the development of salad bars and the creative example of many chefs, the possibilities of salad are unlimited.

If there’s any one feature that defines salads, it is that the mixture should be a well-crafted blend, with contrasting textures, compatible flavors, and appealing colors. A recipe for Grilled Chicken Sausage and Squash with Summer Greens and Pecans, for instance, is a meal-in-one salad that pairs hearty pre-cooked sausage and toasted pecans with lightly dressed greens and grilled summer squash. And though it looks and tastes substantial, the whole dish comes together in about 20 minutes.

Warm weather appetites also appreciate the easy-nibbling dish, the snack-by-the-pool or bite-before-the-ball game kind of savory. In a bow to culinary tradition and innovation, an appetizer of BLT and Georgia Pecans in Lettuce Wraps fits any of these occasions, as well as something more fancy. Taking the popular combination of bacon, lettuce, and tomato, this recipe omits the usual bread,
using the lettuce to enfold a filling of bacon, crisp toasted pecans, fresh parsley, and lemon juice, then blended with a little mayo and topped with fresh tomato. It’s at once classic and contemporary, relying on tried-and-true flavors presented in a stylish package.

A handful of Georgia pecans make all the difference with another summertime staple: fresh fruit desserts. In a recipe for Blueberry Pecan Shortbread Crisp, Georgia pecans are effortlessly worked into store-bought cookie dough to create a sweet, nutty crisp topping that is sprinkled over blueberries while their baking. Some of the dough also lines the bottom of the pan, to give the dessert a pie-like crust, without all the fuss of making pastry from scratch.

With such ideas, some culinary conveniences, and a handful of Georgia pecans, these basic dishes instantly become the next big thing at a summer bash or buffet. Mix a little creativity, some speed-scratch ingredients, and the ever-versatile pecan, and your table, like the garden, will be an earthly delight.

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Side Bar:


Perfect Partners
According to the Georgia Pecan Commission, Georgia pecans paired with ready-to-use ingredients from the market create dishes that practically make themselves. Consider some of the tasty possibilities:

• Thaw cooked shrimp and sauté with pecans, garlic and Cajun spices for a five-minute meal.
  - Cut up smoked turkey legs and toss with pecans, celery, and apple for a hearty, updated Waldorf salad
• Quick-cooking herbed couscous can be mixed with pecans and grated carrot to make a pilaf side dish.
• Take a cue from chefs and add spiced toasted pecans to salad greens; top with fresh goat cheese for a delicious creamy-crispy experience.
• Fill pre-made crepes with ready-to-use prosciutto, roasted pepper, and chopped pecans, then top with a drizzle of basil pesto for instant Mediterranean-style first-course.
• Toss banana and berry slices in maple syrup, chopped pecans, and a pinch of cinnamon to dress up frozen waffles for brunch. Don’t forget a dollop of whipped cream.

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Source: Georgia Pecan Commission




 

Grilled Chicken Sausage and Squash with Summer Greens and Pecans
A wonderful egg-free recipe for Caesar dressing is used to dress this salad, but any high-quality bottled Caesar dressing can be substituted for convenience.

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 12 minutes

Makes 4 servings
4 chicken sausages (pre-cooked)
2 summer squash, cut in half lengthwise
1 red onion, cut into 1-inch thick slices
Salt and pepper
Olive oil to grill
2/3 cup Georgia pecan halves
1/2 cup Caesar Dressing (recipe follows)
3 cups mixed salad greens
1. Heat grill to medium-high. Season cut sides of squash and red onion with salt and pepper and lightly oil with olive oil. Grill cut sides down, until just tender and grill marks are nicely darkened. Grill sausage to warm through and brown all sides. Set aside squash, onion, and sausage to cool slightly.
2. Prepare Caesar Dressing and set aside. Toast pecans in a skillet or toaster oven until slightly darkened and fragrant.
3. Cut sausage and squash crosswise diagonally into bite-size pieces and transfer to a medium bowl. Cut onion slices in half and add to bowl with the pecans and 1/4 cup dressing. Toss all together to coat with dressing.
4. Just before serving, toss salad greens with remaining 1/4 cup dressing. Arrange on a serving platter and top with sausage, vegetable, and pecan mixture.
Caesar Dressing: In a blender or food processor, combine 1 heaping tablespoon oil-packed anchovy fillets, 1 tablespoon chopped garlic, 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano cheese, and 2 teaspoons each red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. Blend for 10 seconds. Add 1/3 cup water, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon salt. Blend for 10 seconds. Scrape down sides of container and with the machine running, slowly add 3/4 cup olive oil in a thin steady stream, until bended. (This makes more than needed for the above recipe, but the leftover will keep refrigerated for up to two weeks.)

Nutrition information per serving salad, without dressing – calories: 253; protein: 12g; carbs: 9g; saturated fat: 4g; monounsaturated fat: 11g; polyunsaturated fat: 5g; cholesterol: 38mg; sodium: 441 mg; fiber: 3g.

Nutrition information per tablespoon Caesar Dressing – calories: 71; protein: .5g; carbs: .4g; saturated fat: 1g; monounsaturated fat: 5g; polyunsaturated fat: .6g; cholesterol: 1mg; sodium: 72 mg; fiber: 0.

Source: Georgia Pecan Commission
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BLT and Georgia Pecan Lettuce Wraps
Taking the popular combination of bacon, lettuce, and tomato, we’ve omitted the usual bread that it rests upon and added crunchy pecans, fresh parsley, lemon juice and a little mayo to make a chopped salad that is served inside fresh lettuce cups.

Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Makes 10 appetizers
8 ounces bacon
3/4 cup Georgia pecan halves
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
10 soft lettuce leaves (such as Bibb) or large endive leaves, rinsed
and patted dry
3/4 cup seeded (optional) and chopped plum tomatoes

1. Fry the bacon in a skillet until crispy and browned. Drain well on paper towels. Remove almost all the fat from the pan, leaving just a thin film on the bottom. Add pecans, and toast, turning occasionally, over medium heat until lightly browned and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
2. Finely chop the bacon and pecans; mix in a large bowl with the parsley, mayonnaise, and lemon juice.
3. Spoon about 2 tablespoons bacon-pecan mixture into center of each soft lettuce leaf or along the inside hollow of an endive leaf. Top with about 1 heaping tablespoon chopped tomato. Repeat with remaining filling, lettuce, and tomato. Serve promptly.

Nutrition information per serving--calories: 111; protein: 3g; carbs: 3g; saturated fat: 2g; monounsaturated fat: 4g; polyunsaturated fat: 3g; cholesterol: 8mg; sodium: 128 mg; fiber: 1g.

Source: Georgia Pecan Commission
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Blueberry Pecan Shortbread Crisp
Using a tube of ready-to-bake cookie dough to line the bottom of the pan and also become a tender-crisp nutty topping, this dessert can be put together in minutes.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Baking Time: 45 minutes

Makes 8 servings
1-pound, 2-ounce tube refrigerated sugar cookie dough, softened
at room temperature
3 pints fresh blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
2/3 cup chopped Georgia pecans

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan. Cut tube of cookie dough in half crosswise. Using one half, cut dough in pieces, scatter in pan and press evenly into bottom of pan to make a thin crust. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Reduce oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium size bowl, combine blueberries, sugar, flour, and lemon rind. Toss gently to coat berries. Transfer berry mixture to cookie-lined pan, spread in an even layer, and sprinkle the sugar mixture remaining in bowl over berries. Bake 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cut remaining cookie dough into small pieces. In a bowl, mix pieces of dough with pecans, gently kneading the dough to distribute the pecans evenly.
4. Pinch off pieces of pecan cookie dough and scatter on top of blueberries, letting fruit show through in spots. Bake another 15 to 20 minutes or until filling is bubbly and top is browned. Cool slightly before serving.

Nutrition information per serving--calories: 472; protein: 5g; carbs: 68g; saturated fat: 4g; monounsaturated fat: 12g; polyunsaturated fat: 4g; cholesterol: 20mg; sodium: 304 mg; fiber: 4g.

Source: Georgia Pecan Commission

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