In January, it's difficult to get excited about produce. So, I'm not. Instead, this month I'm focusing on something that most people (including me) totally take for granted: peanuts! Unless you're a nut farmer, it's easy to forget that they have seasons just like veggies and fruit. But wait! Peanuts aren't even nuts. They're a legume. Did you know that?

Peanuts have been around forever (or 7,600 years) and they've become a ubiquitous part of American life, for sure. We've got boiled peanuts in the South, roasted peanuts everywhere else, peanuts on a plane, PB&J, Snickers bars, peanut brittle, peanut butter cups, even fried peanuts--and don't even get me started on peanut oil!

Chances are, you've got a tin of dry roasted peanuts in the back of your pantry already so dig it out and try a new use for these old beans:

Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cups by Renegade Health Show
Indian-style Peanut Rice on allrecipes.com
Serundeng (Indonesian Roasted Spiced Peanuts with Coconut) on food.com
Peanut Butter Krispy Bars by Celine Steen
Sweet Potato & Garnet Yam in Ginger & Peanut Sauce by yours truly

Do you ever wonder how to find out what's in season? There are tons of lists on the web, but I like to use Epicurious's Peak-Season Map which allows you to select the month and your home state to find out what's in harvest.