Alabama State Nut – Alabama Statute

Arkansas State Nut – Arkansas Statute

According to the Arkansas Encyclopedia of Culture and History,

The Eighty-seventh Arkansas General Assembly designated the pecan as the official nut of Arkansas. Act 638, introduced as HB 1906 by Representative Larry Cowling (District 2, Little River County), had twenty-two co-sponsors and was approved on March 27, 2009. The act specifically noted, however, that it did not grant protected status to the pecan, thus ensuring that the fruit of the Carya illinoinensis may be harvested and consumed.

The Pecan Tree

Other States With Pecan Symbols

Pecan Cookies

Ingredients for Pecan Cookies

• Parchment paper or vegetable cooking spray, for the baking sheet
• 2 cups pecans, plus about 3 dozen pecan halves for topping the cookies
• 1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• Pinch of salt
• White of 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions for Pecan Cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or generously grease it.
2. Combine the 2 cups pecans and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar in a food processor, and process until the nuts are finely chopped.
3. Combine the chopped pecans, remaining brown sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add the egg white (unbeaten) and lemon juice, and stir until thoroughly combined.
4. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the mixture, about 1-1/2 inches apart, on the prepared baking sheet. Press a pecan half into each cookie.
5. Bake on the center oven rack until the cookies are golden brown, 8 to 11 minutes. Watch the bottoms, as they burn easily. Let the cookies cool on a baking sheet set on a wire rack until they can be safely moved, 1 to 2 minutes. Then transfer them to the rack to cool completely.
6. Repeat, baking and cooling the remaining cookies, and serve.

Yield: Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Note: The above recipe is courtesy of Grandparents.com
Grandparents.com is the ultimate resource and premier social website for today’s grandparents. The website offers enriching activities, discussion groups, expert advice, ten monthly newsletters, and a Benefits Club with discounts on thousands of goods and services.

Walnuts courtesy of GimmeFood /Flickr 2011

Official State Nut of Missouri:Eastern Black Walnut

Missouri named the Eastern Black Walnut the official state nut on July 9, 1990. The Eastern Black Walnut is often used in various candies, ice cream, and baked goods.

The Eastern black walnut shell (J. nigra) is the hardest of the walnut shells, and it is therefore ideal for polishing: clean soft metals, fiberglass, plastics, wood and stone. It is also used for a paint thickener for a “plaster effect,” in explosives as a filler in dynamite, and in cosmetics as soap and exfoliating cleansers.(Wikipedia)

Important California Agricultural Product

The Difference between California Walnuts and Missouri Black Walnuts

The black walnut is a Native American species. Currently the black walnut is used mainly as a rootstock for English walnuts. The meats are tasty but thanks to a very thick shell, they are a lot of work to crack and remove from the shell. Nutritionally speaking black walnuts contain approximately 10% less total fat and approximately 80% less omega-3 fatty acids (ALA) per serving than English walnuts.

Source: California Walnut Commission

History of the Walnut

Walnuts are the oldest tree food known to man, dating back to 7000 B.C. The Romans called walnuts Juglans regia, “Jupiter’s royal acorn.” Early history indicates that English walnuts came from ancient Persia, where they were reserved for royalty. Thus, the walnut is often known as the “Persian Walnut.” Walnuts were traded along the Silk Road route between Asia and the Middle East. Caravans carried walnuts to far off lands and eventually through sea trade, spreading the popularity of the walnut around the world. English merchant marines transported the product for trade to ports around the world and they became known as “English Walnuts.” England, in fact, never grew walnuts commercially. The outer shell provided a natural protective layer helping to maintain the quality of the nut. Today the nut trade continues to be a well-established, ordered, and structured business, and the California walnut is well known as the top quality walnut for the world.

Black Walnuts in Art

Recipe for Walnut Butter

• 2 cups walnuts
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons walnut or vegetable oil (or as needed)

Optional, to taste:

• A little honey
• A little cinnamon

**Yields 1 Cup, 8 servings

Directions for Walnut Butter
You can make walnut butter using raw, soaked or toasted walnuts. Here’s how to do all three, and why they’re different.

Raw walnuts:
Use raw walnuts for a very creamy and smooth texture that tastes like a just shelled walnut.

Soaked walnuts:
This method will remove some of the tannin from the walnut skin, and offer a more textured walnut butter. Soak walnuts overnight, drain and discard the water. Then, toast the walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet at 350°F for up to 15 minutes to dry them out (don’t let them get dark!). Cool the walnuts before making them into butter.

Toasted walnuts:
To enhance the sweet, nutty flavor of walnuts, toast them before making them into butter. Walnut butter with toasted walnuts will provide a coarse textured finished product. Toast walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet at 350°F for 8 to 10, or until fragrant. Cool the walnuts before making them into butter.

To make the butter:
Make walnut butter by putting the walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and grinding them until they become sticky or paste-like. Add the salt. Add the oil, a little bit at a time until the walnut butter binds together. If you like, add small touches of honey and/or cinnamon to taste.

Source: Recipe courtesy of the California Walnut Commission

Tasty Walnut Treats for You

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Oyster Proverb

Oyster- Mississippi State Shell - photo courtesy of Neeta Lind/Flickr CC By-2.0

Month with an “r”: January, February, March, April, September, October, November, December

Although oysters in the Gulf of Mexico can spawn throughout the year because of warm Gulf currents; most oysters spawn in the summer and have a soft and fatty texture with an unpleasant water taste. They lose the lean, firm texture and bright flavor that they have during the other months of the year, hence our little saying to help remember the optimum months for oysters.
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Oyster Shucking

[ad#Google 250 x 250 right]Shucking an oyster refers to opening an oyster’s shell to cook it. Oysters must be alive when you cook them. If they are dead coming out of the water, they are dangerous to eat.

Tap the oyster’s shell to see if they react. If the shell is open, it will snap shut. If it stays open the oyster is dead or sick. Don’t eat it. If the oyster is closed and it makes an odd clacking sound, it is dead and full of sand; once again don’t eat it.

Once you’ve checked that all of your oysters are alive and safe to eat, you need to pry open their shells. To do this wear heavy gloves to protect your hands. More people have cut themselves opening oysters than probably any other item. A shucking knife is the best tool with a short, triangular, thick blade about 2-3 inches long. If you use something else, you increase your possibility of getting cut by a lot.

Pros can open an oyster in about 3 seconds, but you are not a pro, so don’t try to match their time. Insert the knife in the hinge at the bottom of the shell and twist. The shucking knife will break the hinge and open the shell. Careful, the shell is sharp!

Oysters on the Half Shell - Allerina & Glen MacLarty/Flickr CC By-2.0

If you boil the oysters, they will naturally open as they die, and you can save yourself the job of shucking them. If they don’t open, they were dead already and you shouldn’t eat them. Oysters are safest to eat when they are cooked, since they can carry bacteria and other pathogens. Purists like to eat them raw (Oysters on the Half Shell), but since oysters are filter feeders their system can concentrate any undesirable bacteria from their surroundings. Be careful with the choices you make.
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Mississippi State Legislature-Official State Shell
The Oyster

An act designating the Oyster Shell (Crassostrea virginica) as the State Shell was approved April 12, 1974, Chapter 551, General Laws of Mississippi of 1974.

Oyster Delicacies

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History of Florida’s Official State Pie:

The Key Lime Pie

The 2006 Florida Legislature designated key lime pie as the official state pie. The key limes (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle) used to make this dessert are named after the Florida Keys where the key limes originated in the United States. The first key lime pie was created in the 1850s in south Florida. The recipe became popular in early Florida because it was made using key limes and sweetened condensed milk and did not require refrigeration.

Key Lime Pie - photo by Ann Gav

How to Make a Florida Key Lime Pie

• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (12 to 15 key limes or 3 to 4 common limes)
• 4 teaspoons grated lime zest
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 – 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 12 graham crackers
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions for Florida Key Lime Pie
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1. Zest the limes.
2. Cut the limes in half and juice them. Be sure to remove any pits.
3. Put the butter in the microwave for about 1 minute to melt, and put it to the side.
4. Whisk the egg yolks and lime zest together in a bowl until tinted light green. This takes about 2 minutes
5. Beat in the milk, then the lime juice you squeezed earlier, and set aside at room temperature till it thickens.
6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
7. Crush your graham crackers or put them in a food processor, until they are crumbs.
8. Mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar in another bowl.
9. Add melted butter and stir with a fork until well blended.
10. Pour this mixture into a 9-inch pie pan and press over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Try using the bottom of a measuring cup to make sure the graham cracker mixture forms a firm crust on the bottom of the pie pan.
11. Bake on the center rack for about 15 minutes until the crust is lightly brown, remove and let cool to room temperature.
12. Pour the lime filling into crust, spread evenly, and then bake for 15 minutes until the center sets, but still wiggles when shaken.
13. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
14. Refrigerate for at least three hours until well chilled.
15. Top with whipped cream, if desired.

-recipe from the Reluctant Gourmet


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Suggested Ingredients

State History of the Vidalia Onion

Georgia farmers united in the mid-1980’s to seek both state and federal protection of the growing region and the Vidalia brand name. The following legislation was passed during this historical time:

1986 – Georgia’s state legislature gave the Vidalia onion legal status and defined the 20-county production area.

1989 – Vidalia onion producers established Federal Marketing Order No. 955 for the crop. This USDA program created the Vidalia Onion Committee and extended the definition of a Vidalia onion to the federal level.

1990 – The Vidalia onion was named Georgia’s Official State Vegetable. The name “Vidalia” had also been trademarked and is still owned by the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

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Ingredients for Spicy Vidalia Onion Rings

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• 1/2 cup White Lily Self-Rising Cornmeal Mix
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 3 large Vidalia Onions sliced into 1/4 inch rings
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 to 3 tablespoons butter, melted, or non-stick cooking spray
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions for Spicy Vidalia Onion Rings

Onion Rings - photo by Kate Ter Haar/Flickr CC2.0

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Grease baking sheet with spray.
3. Combine meal, pepper, paprika in a large zip lock plastic bag.
4. Dip Vidalia Onion slices in milk and place in the plastic bag with mixture. Seal and shake until well-coated.
5. Place in a single layer on the pan.
6. Drizzle with melted butter or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
7. Bake for 10 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and turn slices over with spatula. Return to the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more or until browned and crisp.
9. Drain on paper towels.
10. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Source: The Vidalia® Onion Committee

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Tasty Onion Treats

Kumquats are a primary agricultural citrus product of the state of Florida.

Ingredients For Tilapia with Kumquat Citrus Butter:
Makes four servings

Tilapia with Kumquat Citrus Butter - Photo by Susan Russo for NPR

• 1 1/2 tablespoons softened butter
• 4 de-seeded kumquats with rinds, minced until pulpy
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 or 5 fresh mint leaves, minced, plus a couple more for garnish

Ingredients for Cooking the Tilapia

• 4 (4-ounce) tilapia fillets
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions For Tilapia with Kumquat Citrus Butter:

1. Combine all ingredients for the citrus butter in a small bowl and mix with your fingertips, ensuring that the fruit and seasonings are incorporated into the butter. Set aside.
2. For the fish, melt butter with olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Rub fish fillets on both sides with half of the citrus butter and place in the hot skillet.
4. Cook fillets for 4 minutes, then flip once and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until opaque and slightly browned.
5. Melt remaining half of the citrus butter in the microwave or on the stovetop and drizzle on top of the cooked fish before serving. Garnish with additional mint, if desired.

Note: To de-seed kumquats, slice the fruit into rounds with a sharp paring knife. Using the tip of the knife, gently pluck the tiny seeds from the slices.

BY: Susan Russo for NPR

PHOTO BY: Susan Russo for NPR

Tasty Treats You May Like

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Grilled Quail by Kent Wang

California Quail is one of the state symbols of California, specifically the California State Bird. It is also known as Valley Quail, San Lucas Quail, Santa Catalina Quail Warner Valley Quail, and Californian Quail.

According to the California State Library:

The California Quail (Lophortyx californica), also known as the valley quail, became the official state bird in 1931. A widely distributed and prized game bird, it is known for its hardiness and adaptability. Plump, gray-colored and smaller than a pigeon, the California quail sports a downward curving black plume on top of its head and black bib with white stripe under the beak. Flocks number from a few to 60 or more in the fall and winter months, but in the spring break into pairs. They nest in hollows scratched in the ground and concealed by foliage, and their eggs, 6 to 28 in number, are creamy white and thickly spotted with golden brown.

This simple method of preparation is perfect for weekend hunting trips and excellent for many other types of small game birds such as dove, chukar, pigeon, snipe, etc. The number of birds needed to serve four persons is dependant upon the size of the birds and the appetite of your guests. Serves four.

Ingredients for Marinated Grilled Mountain Quail

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• 8 each Quail, cleaned and split lengthwise
• ¼ cup Olive Oil
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 each Lemon, juiced
• 1 Tbsp. Fresh Thyme, minced
• 2 Tbsp. Fresh Sage, minced
• 1 Tbsp. Fresh Rosemary
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
• ½ cup Dry White Wine
• 2 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Black Pepper, freshly ground

Directions for Marinated Grilled Mountain Quail

Baste and grill over hot coals. Note: The birds may be basted with the marinade for the first several minutes if desired, after which, basting with the marinade should be avoided. This is to prevent possible contamination from the previously marinated meat.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Kirk Williams, CEC, CCE

Smaller game birds are always roasted at higher temperatures, like 425° F to achieve browning, while larger birds such as turkeys are roasted at lower temperatures like 300° F to prevent burning and excessive moisture loss.

Image courtesy of

Tasty Quail Treats for You

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Tarpon- the state fish of Alabama by Marcus Q

The Tarpon is the Alabama State Saltwater Fish

Other Names
Silver King
Description
The tarpon, a spectacular large fish which rightly carries the name of Silver King, is unmistakable. Characteristics include large flat scales up to three inches in diameter, an elongated dorsal fin, falcate anal fin and large bony underslung jaw. It has been known to exceed 300 pounds.

Note: The tarpon is edible, although it is not often eaten in the US. It is best when planked or cooked in a stew.

Ingredients for Tarpon Stew

• 1 lb Tarpon fillets
• 4 cans of strong beer
• 3 medium potatoes, cut in chunks.
• 1 carrot, cut in chunks
• 1 tomato, quattered
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 onion, cut in chunks
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 quart (2 pints) chicken stock

1. Pour chicken stock into a large stockpot
2. Add the tarpon and cut up vegetables. Put the soup on a medium heat to start.
3. Add the strong beer or ale, and add garlic. Stir for about 3-5 minutes.
4. Turn the stockpot onto low heat. Cover and cook for approximately 3 hours.
5. Serve with hot bread

Photo courtesy of:

Tasty Treats for You

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Did you know that the large, rubbery nose of a moose is considered a culinary delicacy? Yes, the nose.

According to Donald L Schultz in Traveling up the Evangeline Trail-Country Acadie’:

A moose muffle is the nose and the pendulous, overhanging upper lip of the moose, eaten boiled, baked, or fried as a delicacy. It was prized among the Cree who boiled it and cut the muzzle into very thin slices.

The moose is the Alaska State Land Mammal and according to the Alaska Division of Fish and Game:

• Alaska’s moose are the largest of their species as well as the largest member of the deer family.
• Moose weigh between 1,000 and 1,600 pounds.
• Moose can be irritable and fiercely protective of their young—they’ve been known to charge people, horses, cars, and even locomotives.
• Bulls (male moose) grow majestic antlers up to 70 inches wide.
• Moose protect themselves from mosquitoes and other biting insects by submerging themselves in shallow ponds.

Moose is also the official State Mammal of Maine.

Directions for preparing Moose Nose

1. Remove nose along the upper lip; wash thoroughly in cold water.
2. Roll several pieces of paper tightly and insert into nostrils.
3. Place over open fire with a wire hanger, live branch, etc. in order to singe hair (paper rolls will singe nostril hairs).
4. Scrape off hair and burned areas. Rewash.
5. Boil slowly for two hours.
6. Serve hot or cold, then just sit back and enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Moose-lover Treats for You

Photo by arnold | inuyaki

South Carolina was the first state to choose the peach as their official state fruit in 1984. Georgia became known as the Peach State, and they chose the peach as their official State Fruit in 1995. Alabama also decided to designate the peach as their official state fruit in 2006.

According to the Acts of Alabama 2006:

The peach belongs to the family Rosaceae, a large family of herbs, shrubs, and trees distributed over most of the earth, and for plants of the genus Rosa, the true roses. The peach appears to have originated in China, where it was mentioned in literature several centuries before Christ. It was introduced into Persia before Christian times and was spread by the Romans throughout Europe. Several of its horticultural varieties were brought by the Spanish to North America, where it became naturalized as far north as Pennsylvania by the late 17th century. The numerous varieties of peaches under cultivation are generally distinguished as clingstone or freestone.

Thirty to forty varieties of peaches are grown commercially throughout Alabama. The harvest season begins in South Alabama in early May and is completed in North Alabama in early September.

Ingredients for a Quick Peach Cobbler

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• 1 can (16 ounce) sliced peaches, packed in juice
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon softened margarine

Instructions for Quick Peach Cobbler

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Open the can of peaches. Pour the peaches and their juice into the casserole dish. Heat them on the stove-top until they bubble.
3. Slightly beat 1 egg.
4. In a mixing bowl, mix the egg, sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and margarine.
5. Drop spoonfuls of this mixture on top of the hot, bubbling peaches.
6. Use pot holders to carefully remove the casserole dish from the stove.
7. Put the casserole dish in the oven. Bake for about 30-40 minutes.
8. Serve warm with ice cream (optional)

Recipe adapted from:
Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Network Program

Tasty Peach Cobbler Treats