Tuesday, September 09, 2008

'SEPTEMBER STAPLES' ~ ANEMOME & APPLES / MICHIGAN WALDORF SALAD with SWEET & SPICY PECANS

"There is greatest relish for the earliest fruit of the season."
~ Japanese Anemome
(Anemone X hybrida)

MICHIGAN WALDORF SALAD with SWEET & SPICY PECANS

~ Delicious salad hints of autumn

(adapted from Bon Appetit Sept. 1999)

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1 cup dried Michigan tart cherries

(can soften in boiling water if preferred)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3 Tbsp. sour cream

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tsp. sugar

4 cored Granny Smith apples (cut into 1/2 inch cubes)

1 1/3 cups thinly sliced celery

1 1/3 cups halved red seedless grapes

salt & freshly ground pepper

Romaine or mixed greens for autumn color

Sweet & Spicy Candied Pecans

  • Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice and sugar in large bowl. Add apples, celery, grapes and cherries; toss. Season with salt & freshly ground pepper.
  • Arrange on greens and spoon salad over. Top with Candied Pecans. (6 servings)

Note: If substituting red apples, use green grapes.

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Sweet & Spicy Candied Pecans

3 tablespoons Michigan maple syrup

1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. (generous) freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cups pecan pieces (or walnuts)

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray. Combine corn syrup and next 4 ingredients in large bowl. Stir to blend. Add pecans; stir gently to coat. Transfer to baking sheet.
  • Place large piece of foil on work surface. Bake pecans 5 minutes. Using fork, stir pecans to coat with melted spice mixture. Continue baking until pecans are golden and coating bubbles, about 10 minutes. Transfer to foil. Working quickly, separate nuts with fork. Cool. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)


Family Name:
Ranunculaceae = Buttercup or Crowfoot Family
Scientific Name:
* Anemone x hybrida
Common Name:
Japanese Anemone


11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lovely shots of the Japanese Anemone - they are one of my favorite flowers for this time of year.
Regards
Karen
An Artist's Garden

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Joey: I love that little flower and you captured it so well.

Anonymous said...

We have a japanese anemome growing on the north side of our new home and it brings true joy to my heart. Before growing it here, I'd never known this plant but it's now one of my true favorites. Thanks for the fabulous photos!

Anonymous said...

What a sweet little flower! And the recipes, as always, sound delicious, especially those pecans! Yum!

Ruth Welter said...

Beautiful photos Joes and a lovely looking recipe. I love the bee photos from your below post..if I haven't already told you. : ) It is fun to get up close and person with bugs.

ruth

Niels Plougmann said...

I´ve decided that it is all your falut that I gained 2 pounds during the last month! I better do some more garden work and enjoy my Autumn Anemones as we call them here. - I better use some low fat mayonaise for this recipe - yummy. I do this salad with walnuts since they do not have pecans in shops here.

Connie said...

Awesome photos of the Anemones... and the recipe sounds very good!

joey said...

Japanese anemones seem to be happy everywhere, Karen. Aren't we lucky?

I love them also, Fishing Guy, although they're a 'bit too happy' in my garden so have lots to share if you are ever near ;)

Thanks Judy Gal. Glad you are enjoying them at your new home ... a lovely choice for late summer gardens.

Hi Ruth and thank you. I enjoy getting 'Up Close and Personal' with bugs also.

Whoops, sorry Niels :) Your salmon catch must have been devoured!

Thank you, Connie. I could live on salads (especially with some of your tasty baby belle peppers)!

Anonymous said...

I didn't know that flower. Now, I need to go look it up.Your recipes look so good. Guess I am hungry for auumn food.

Rose said...

These Japanese anemones are lovely flowers; I wish I had some! The apple salad recipe sounds delicious--another one I must print out!

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

I love anemones!!! So much so that my next MLive blog entry will be about them. :)
~ Monica