In a Nutshell

october 2006

In a Nutshell

On a chilly November day in 1938, residents of Dothan, Ala., gathered to celebrate the town’s peanut crop with a pageant, a grand ball and a tribute to a modest research professor from the Tuskegee Institute. After discovering more than 300 uses for peanuts and gaining international fame, 74-year-old Dr. George Washington Carver was making history again—this time as the honored guest at the first National Peanut Festival in Dothan.
Fast forward to 2006 for a frolicking festival that spans nine days and draws close to 200,000 visitors. The festival features peanuts in every shape and form—especially during the recipe contest, whose prize-winning entry last year was a Boiled Peanut Cake with Sweet Potatoes and Satsuma Tangerine Slices (go to www.relishmag.com for the recipe).
Everybody’s favorite event, according to Carrie Cavender, a festival organizer, is the grand finale parade. A large, revolving concrete mixer—modified by a local company “so it wouldn’t smash the peanuts”—litters the street with the roasted legumes before the procession begins. “Everybody brings a bag,” she says. “And the kids can run out and pick up all the peanuts they want and then eat ’em while they watch the parade.”
The people of Dothan have every right to go nuts. According to the Alabama Peanut Producers Association, more than half of the nation’s peanuts are grown within a 100-mile radius of Dothan. And many of the state’s 1,800 peanut farmers live here, too.
Carver, no doubt, would  be proud.


Thai-Style Peanut-Cabbage Salad

Everyone loves peanuts. In fact, they play an integral role in Thai dishes, such as this crunchy, sprightly salad.

Ingredients
Dressing:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons peanut oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:
1/4 pound green beans, blanched
4 cups baby spinach (about 4 ounces)
2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2/3 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts, toasted if desired
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or mint
1 (1-ounce) package roasted vegetable chips or sweet potato chips (such as Terra), lightly crushed


Instructions
1. To prepare dressing, combine all ingredients in a jar; cover tightly and shake vigorously.
2. To prepare salad, place beans and next 4 ingredients (beans through bell pepper) in a large bowl. Just before serving, drizzle about two-thirds of dressing over salad; toss to coat well. Sprinkle with peanuts, herbs and vegetable chips. Serve with remaining dressing. Serves 6.


Nutritional Information
Per serving: 360 calories, 23g fat, 11g prot., 33g carbs., 7g fiber, 930mg sodium.

Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients
Cake:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Frosting:
5 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons, confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup smooth peanut butter
2 to 5 tablespoons 2 percent low-fat milk




Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan.
2. To make cake, combine sugars, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; whisk vigorously until smooth. Stir in boiling water. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool.
3. To make the frosting, mix butter, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla with a mixer; beat well. Add peanut butter. Add 2 tablespoons milk slowly, beating until very creamy. Add up to 3 additional tablespoons milk if necessary to achieve desired consistency. When cake has cooled, frost top. Serves 20.

Nutritional Information
Per serving: 300 calories, 16g fat, 6g prot., 36g carbs., 2g fiber, 350mg sodium.

Nancy Henderson Wurst is a freelance writer in Chattanooga, TN.

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