Celebrating National Peanut Month

This month celebrates one of America’s favorite foods! While many cultures worldwide have a history of including peanuts in their cuisine, we have covered the waterfront on ways to use these amazing groundnuts from roasted in the shell for a ballpark snack, ground into peanut butter or tossed in a salad or stir-fry, peanuts find their way into everything from breakfast to dessert. Maybe that is why we have been celebrating National Peanut Month since 1974. Here are some of our favorite ways to use peanuts:

Colonial Peanut Soup
Soba Noodles Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing
Couscous with Cranberries and Toasted Peanuts
Peanut Butter Chocolate Truffles
Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Another of our favorite ways to eat peanuts is in this Thai Peanut Dipping Sauce:

Source

¼ cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons warm water
1 tablespoon mirin
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 small clove of garlic, minced
½” nob of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, add all ingredients and pulse until completely combined and smooth. Add more water by the tablespoonful if needed to thin to you desired consistency. Transfer the sauce to a small bowl, cover, and chill until ready to serve. You can make the sauce up to 3 days in advance, but bear in mind that the garlic flavor will increase as it sits. Bring to room temperature before using.