NO MORE FOODSERVICE TYPECASTING: GEORGIA PECANS ARE FOR ALL SEASONS AND ALL REASONS

ATLANTA - In the same manner that Humphrey Bogart was typecast as the movies "tough guy" and Paris is typecast as the eternal city of romance, Georgia pecans have been typecast as the holiday dessert nut.

There's an easy explanation. The nuts are freshly-harvested just before the holidays and they are delicious in pies, tarts, cakes, cookies, candies, puddings and as sugared snacks. However, the Georgia Pecan Commission (GPC) believes Americans are missing out on some of pecans most flavorful performances. The commission hopes to extend consumer awareness and usage of pecans to any season of the year and to many different and diverse uses.

Available and Versatile
Pecans can be shelled and frozen in plastic bags or frozen still in the shell. Both these methods give year-around availability of one of Americas favorite nuts. The GPC has been collecting recipes from popular U.S. restaurants and developing some of its own to suggest new and different ways to enjoy the great flavor, crunch and nutritional benefits of this native American nut.

Pecans In Entrees and Side Dishes
Pecans go well with all kinds of meats, poultry and fish, and they make a wonderful crunchy coating for salmon, shrimp, chicken and other entrees. A combination of wild rice and pecans makes a terrific side dish for game birds such as dove and quail, or domestic birds including cornish hens and turkey. A ham raisin sauce with crunchy, chopped pecans is a rare treat. One of the new ways to prepare fish fillets is to coat them with pecans.

While sweet potatoes with pecans are a tasty combination, consider substituting pecans for the usual almonds in green bean recipes. And, few have tried pecans sprinkled on top of a squash casserole in lieu of the usual bread crumbs. Heres another new idea -- toasted pecans in a salsa of yellow tomatoes and mango that is used as a topping for grilled tuna, salmon or grouper. Pecans also add fiber and protein as well as interesting texture to pasta dishes.

Pecans are complementary to most salads. Consider these two variations on a classic -- Waldorf Salad, with pecans instead of walnuts and add pecans to a Caesar Salad. Its a delightful change, especially if you toast the pecans for 3-5 minutes first, which brings out its best, nutty flavor. The GPC also recommends pecans in a favorite cole slaw recipe, chopped pecans in any fresh, green salad and a one-dish, easy summer salad of chicken and rice with pecans.

Breads and Pecans: A Marriage Made in the Oven
Theres something about baking that enhances the flavor of pecans in just about any recipe. We all appreciate pecan waffles and pecan-cinnamon rolls, but adventurous companies could try pecan biscotti, cranberry-pecan bread, apple-pecan muffins and a baked or grilled pizza made with pesto, pecans and mozzarella cheese. In Italian focaccia bread, try adding chopped pecans and soft, peppered goat cheese. A new GPC favorite recipe variation is to add a handful of pecans to cornbread batter before baking. In addition to adding great flavor and texture to the diet of consumers, pecans also are a good source of oleic acid, B1-Thiamin, magnesium, fiber and protein. Loma Linda University researchers have found that nuts are unique, special foods eaten widely in the Mediterranean where people have for centuries enjoyed longevity and the lowest rates of heart disease in the world.

Georgia is the largest pecan-producing state. The 1995 crop of pecans produced 75 million lbs. That's a lot of delicious pecans for consumers to use in turning ordinary dishes into something extraordinary all the way from the fall harvest through winter, spring and summer. While the GPC doesnt want to abandon use of pecans in desserts - after all, they're awfully good - it doesnt want to limit consumer eating pleasure by typecasting this multi-talented culinary star!