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♦ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2006 2C From sea to shining sea Georgia pecans bring us home for Christmas By CHARLOTTE PERKINS Journal Lifestyle Editor This week’B featured state in the “Sea to Shining Sea” series is Georgia. Well, after all, we’ve got to be home for Christmas. The featured food is one that Middle Georgians are rightly proud of - Georgia pecans. The new crop is in and quite possibly the pecans you’re going to cook with will be from the groves you see as you drive through this region. We’ve gotten some great recipes from the Georgia Pecan Commission, and we’ll start out with those and wind up with one we couldn’t resist that just happens to have come from Alabama. Georgia pecan cornbread dressing Adding pecans to corn bread dressing is an old tradition in many Georgia households. If you haven’t tried it, the added crunch is definitely worth it. The rec ipe makes enough to stuff a 12- to 14-pound turkey or serve 10-12 in a casserole/ Preparation time: 40 min utes. Cooking time: 1 hour Corn Bread: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1-1/3 cups yellow corn meal 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk 1 egg 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted and cooled 6 tablespoons butter or margarine 2 cups finely chopped onion 1-1/2 cups finely chopped celery 8 ounces fresh mush rooms, sliced 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion 1/4 cup minced parsley 1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon dried sage Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 cup chopped Georgia pecans 1 egg, lightly beaten 1-1/2 cups turkey or chicken stock, or as needed to moisten For the corn bread, pre heat oven to 425°F. Lightly butter an 8-inch square bak ing pan. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together milk, egg and butter and stir into cornmeal mixture until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes, or until corn Slow-roasted Georgia pecans This Southern recipe has been around for generations and makes a great gift, as well as treat for your party guests. The best part about roasting them slowly is that they won’t burn as easily. But still, watch them care fully as they cook, allowing them to turn a deep, dark brown color. Makes 1 pound, about 8 servings Preparation time: 5 min utes Cooking time: 1 hour 1 pound Georgia pecan halves 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces Salt to taste Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Pour pecans into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and place on center rack in oven. Roast, stirring occa sionally, until pecans turn a deep brown color. (Don’t let them overcook as they will darken as they cool). This Jr ■•>• *■ - 7/pl .jg j, «|XI if* jr " " .^ ; . *?*WSHIB»a>j >• /V*p j. JPPP’ Ite^. Georgia Pecan Commission Panini with pecans and eggs will make a great Christmas or New Years brunch. takes about an hour. Remove pecans from oven and stir in pieces of butter. Stir until butter melts, and return to oven if needed to get butter to melt. Add salt to taste while pecans are still hot. Serve still slightly warm for best flavor, or let cool and pack age in an airtight tin to store. Packaging tip: Don’t gild the lily is a good rule of thumb here. Place pecans in your best tin for safe keeping. Or, if you know the pecans will be gobbled up at once, tuck into a pretty glass bowl, add a ribbon and you’re set. Broccoli gratin with horseradish and Georgia pecans Everybody can use a new broccoli casserole recipe. This one skips the mush room soup, in favor of may onnaise and horseradish, and adds pecans for crunch Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking and Baking time: 30 minutes 2 bags (10 oz each) fro zen broccoli flowerets 1/2 cup roasted red pep per strips 1/2 cup Georgia pecan halves If' t : 5 ' . V : \ \ ? -• Lunch k Mon - Sat M m. 11:30 - 2:30 A lor reservations 478.471,4250 — Georgia Peean Commission Pecans add a lot to Christmas and New Years meals. 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper 3 tablespoons butter, FOOD divided 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons prepared edgars •OO bistro * * WKm •>%* s ’ • Wm < si* 111111 mßm - II ■ ' Dinner AMM k Mon-Thu 5.30 • 9.00 Mill Fri-Sat 5:30 -10:00^ www.edgarshospitahty.com 5171 Eisenhower Pkwy - Macon (Across from Macon State College) horseradish sauce 1/4 cup dry coarse breadcrumbs H| jHnHj Lounge k Mon-Thu 4:00 • until M Fri-Sat 4:00 - until HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan Fresh lemon juice to sprinkle Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9-inch round baking dish or pie plate. Thaw broccoli in skillet over medium heat. Drain well. Transfer to bowl and add red pepper and pecans. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Whisk in mayonnaise and horserad ish sauce and cook over low, stirring, to make a smooth sauce. Pour sauce over broccoli, peppers, and pecans and stir gently to coat. Spread mixture in prepared baking dish; sprinkle with bread crumbs and cheese. Dot with remaining tablespoon butter and bake on top rack in oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden. Serve warm. Source: Georgia Pecan Commission Breakfast panini with Georgia pecans, Cheddar and sausage Let’s go international. Panini are Italian sand wiches, generally pressed and pan-grilled, made with a variety of fillings, especially leftovers. While a panini maker or grill pan is ideal for their preparation, this breakfast version, which pairs nutty pecans with a classic morning-food mix ture of eggs, onions, cheese, and sausage, can also be cooked in a standard skil let and probably would be a good Sunday night supper dish, too. (Try grilling the bread lightly in your George Foreman grill.) Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes Makes 4 large panini 1 teaspoon butter, plus more for bread 3 green onions, chopped 4 fully-cooked break fast sausages (thawed if frozen), chopped 1/2 cup chopped Georgia pecans 4 large eggs, well beat en 8 thick slices Italian bread 4 ounces yellow Ched dar cheese, thinly sliced In non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onions, sausages, and pecans; saute until onions are just softened - about 3 minutes. See SEA, page 6C