The interesting thing about the peanut is that it is not a nut at all, but rather a member of the legume family. Legumes are known for their incredible ability to convert soil nitrogen into a usable form for other plants. An ability that is almost single-handedly responsible for the role that the peanut has played in American culture.

In the early 20th century, an agricultural chemist by the name of George Washington Carver helped to revolutionize the agricultural economy of the Southeast by convincing farmers to consider rotating soil-enriching crops such as peanuts and sweet potatoes in with the more traditional cotton and tobacco. Decades of growing only cotton and tobacco had depleted the soils, and the boll weevil was ravaging the few crops that farmers were able to grow. In order to promote these alternative crops, Carver published bulletins that identified and marketed industrial, textile and food uses for the peanut. Despite his many ingenious discoveries, he refused to patent any of his findings, as it was his desire that all the people of the South, rather than he alone, should profit from his findings.

For my first recipe, I decided to make a slightly exotic variation of the traditional candied peanut. The twist is that this recipe contains rose water, which imbues the peanuts with a heady aroma as well as imparting a subtle floral flavor. The Co-op sells food-grade rose water in the wellness section of the store. What I love the most about this recipe is that it can be made quickly (unless you choose to make your own rose water as well) and the result makes a great salad topper or a quick snack that will provide a wonderful break from your more traditional fare. I suggest you make extra, as these always seem to disappear quickly when I make them.
 
Rose Water Candied Peanuts
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 ¾ cups dry-roasted peanuts
1 ½ tsp. Middle Eastern rose water

Line a baking sheet with foil. Bring sugar and water to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanuts and boil, stirring frequently, until syrup thickens, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to moderately low and stir in ¼ tsp. salt. Continue cooking, stirring and scraping any bits of crystallized sugar from side of pan into mixture (it will become very gritty), until sugar is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes more. (Sugar will still be gritty.)

Remove from heat and stir in rose water. Spread nuts on foil to cool completely, about 20 minutes.


I felt that for my second recipe, I should include one that featured the always delicious chocolate-peanut combo. I chose to make a bar that consisted of a sweet oat crust topped with peanut butter and semi-sweet chocolate chips melted together. I wanted to create a no-frills dessert that would highlight the freshly ground peanuts from the Co-op bulk department and straight up dark chocolate. This recipe, which was ultimately a hodgepodge of other things I’ve made in the past, turned out to be a delicious creation. It had just the right balance of rich chocolate and creamy peanut butter that was accentuated by a sweet chewy crust.

Chocolate Peanut Oat Bars
1 cup brown sugar
⅔ cup butter, softened
4 cups quick oats
½ cup agave syrup
1 Tbsp. vanilla
¾ cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
⅔ cup freshly ground peanut butter (from the bulk peanut grinder at the Co-op)

Cream the butter and brown sugar together and then add oats, agave syrup and vanilla. Press into a 9”x13” greased pan and bake for 15 minutes in 350 degree F oven.
While crust is baking, melt peanut butter and chocolate chips together in a double boiler. Spread mixture evenly over crust. Let set, cut and enjoy.

Sources:
www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/ROSE-WATER-CANDIED-PEANUTS-238429

Ivy had a great time writing her first ever Co-op newsletter article and would happily consider writing about all ingredients except pickled herring. Please e-mail any suggestions to This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it