Pecans are a big crop for the state of Georgia. According to the state department of agriculture, Georgia produces nearly 100 million pounds of pecans each year.
Not all of those pecans are going into pecan pies and cornbread dressing for that holiday turkey. Some of those pecans are now being pressed into oil.
Oliver Farm, located in Pitts in Wilcox County, near Cordele, is a Georgia Centennial Farm, recognized for being owned by the same family for 100 years or more. They grow row crops like cotton and peanuts and produce grass-fed and grain-finished beef.
Clay Oliver has added culinary oils to the farm’s offerings — sunflower, peanut and pecan. The sunflower oil is pressed from sunflowers grown at the farm.
The pecan oil is made from his own pecan crop, supplemented with pecans from neighboring farms. It’s light brown in color with a distinct pecan fragrance and taste.
Getting into culinary oil production was a big jump, and Oliver appreciates his brother Clint and mother Jurice, who help operate the family-run farm and supported his idea for branching out.
“I was thinking about getting into biofuel in some small way. We could at least provide our own source of energy for the farm. Our county extension agent introduced me to so many people and, along the way, several led me to the concept of making food grade oil. One of the things that’s appealing is knowing what happens to what you raise. With our regular crops, we don’t know what happens to it after it leaves our hands,” said Oliver.
After three years of research, Oliver bought an oil press and began making cold pressed, unrefined oils. “That leaves so much more flavor and, instead of all the oil being one color, like what you see at the grocery store, these are the natural colors of the seeds and nuts,” he said.
When asked what to do with his pecan oil, Oliver has a number of suggestions. “It’s excellent for baking. That light pecan flavor carries over into whatever you make. I’ve talked to a man who wants to put it in his waffles. It also pairs well with seafood, and I especially like it used to cook eggs,” he said.
Its high smoke point makes it a good choice for sauteing, and the flavor is perfect for salads or pasta dishes where you might also include a garnish of pecans.
This is Oliver’s first year of commercial production, and he’s been supported in his efforts by Georgia Organics and the Georgia Grown program of the state department of agriculture.
His pecan oil is available in the metro Atlanta area at Strippaggio at Emory Point, Cook's Warehouse, Star Provisions and Chocolate South or online at http://shop.oliverfarm.com. Oliver will also be at the Georgia Grown Christmas Showcase at the Atlanta State Farmers Market in Forest Park, Saturday, December 14, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
At local farmers markets
Cooking demos:
10 a.m. Saturday. Chef demo and cookbook signing by Anne Quatrano of Star Provisions. Peachtree Road Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com
For sale
Vegetables, fruit and nuts: apple cider, apples, arugula, Asian greens, beets, broccoli, broccoli raab, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chard, chestnuts, collards, dandelion, edamame, eggplant, endive, escarole, fennel, field peas, frisee, garlic, green beans, herbs, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mache, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, pea shoots, pears, pecans, peppers, persimmons, popping corn, potatoes, pumpkins, radicchio, radishes, sorrel, spaghetti squash, spinach, spring onions, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turmeric, turnips, winter squash
From local reports
Miller Union’s Salad with Apple and Pecans
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4
Miller Union’s Steven Satterfield says this salad expresses autumn simply and succinctly. “Crisp fall harvest apples add juiciness and acidity to the toasted crunch of Elliot pecans and earthy green lacinato kale. The dressing echoes the nuttiness of the pecan with cold pressed pecan oil from Oliver farm,” he wrote. He likes sweet/tart apples like cameo, Mutsu or Limbertwig in this recipe and fresh pecans from Crawford County’s Pearson Farm. For the photo, he added sugarloaf endive and raddichio to the kale.
1 cup pecan halves
1 bunch lacinato kale
2 small apples
1 small watermelon radish, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup Shallot Vinaigrette (see recipe)
4 cups mixed greens
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Arrange pecans on baking sheet and roast seven minutes or until you begin to smell their fragrance. Remove immediately. It’s important not to overcook. Set aside.
While pecans are roasting, trim kale leaves, removing any thick, woody stems, then wash well and spin dry in a salad spinner. Stack several leaves and cut them lengthwise and then across to make pieces that will fit easier onto your fork. Continue until all leaves are cut. Put kale in a large salad bowl.
Cut the apples into quarters, exposing the seeds. Turn each quarter cut side down onto a cutting board with the other cut side facing you and the skin side facing away from you. Holding your knife at an angle, slice away the seeds at a 45 degree angle. Do this for each quarter, then slice into thin slices, skin side facing toward you, with the new cut facing down toward the cutting board for stability. Add apple slices and watermelon radish to kale in salad bowl.
Season everything lightly with salt and pepper. Add a few tablespoons of dressing along the inside of the bowl, the edge and then toss to coat. Work the kale for a full minute with your fingers and massage until tender. Add the mixed greens and toss again. Transfer the salad to a plate or platter and garnish with toasted pecans.
Per serving, entire recipe: 392 calories (percent of calories from fat, 79), 3 grams protein, 17 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 36 grams fat (4 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 160 milligrams sodium.
Shallot Vinaigrette
Hands on: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Makes: 2 cups
3 tablespoons finely diced shallots
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
7 turns freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup pecan oil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
In a small mixing bowl, combine shallots, apple cider vinegar, sherry vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine and then slowly drizzle in pecan oil and olive oil, whisking all the while. May be made up to two days ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.
Per 2-tablespoon serving: 95 calories (percent of calories from fat, 97), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, 10 grams fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 145 milligrams sodium.
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