2025 marks the 100th volume of the Agricultural Review, the free newspaper published by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. To celebrate, we’re taking a journey back in time. We’re digging out some old papers, dusting off their pages and looking back at what has happened in agriculture in the last 99 years. Each month, we’ll share an article, recipe or other piece of content “From the archives” of the Ag Review. We can’t wait to see what we find!
In our 2025 content series, #DiscoveringNCAgriculture, we’re highlighting 12 commodities grown, or raised, in our state. Peanuts are the focus for the month of January.
North Carolina ranks third in U.S. peanut production. According to the North Carolina Peanut Growers Association, there are more than 650 peanut growers in the state.
In 2024, more than 127,000 acres of peanuts were planted in North Carolina, largely across central and eastern counties. In 2022, Martin, Edgecombe, Halifax, Pitt and Northampton counties ranked highest in peanut production in the state. That year, Martin County alone produced more than 46.6 million pounds of peanuts.
For many years, the Agricultural Review featured a recipe column written by the department’s home economist titled Tar Heel Kitchen. Flipping back through some old issues of the paper, there are a number of interesting (if not entirely questionable) peanut recipes.
Originally published in the Feb. 15, 1977, issue of the Agricultural Review, is a Tar Heel Kitchen column featuring an odd combination: peanuts and broccoli. The peanut broccoli casserole recipe was fitting for the year as former President Jimmy Carter had just taken office. The 39th president of the United States, who died in late December 2024 at 100 years old, was a peanut farmer from Georgia.
Here’s the recipe:
Peanut Broccoli Casserole
- 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped broccoli, cooked and drained (**or use fresh if in season)
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup chopped N.C. salted peanuts
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup onion
- 2 N.C. eggs, beaten
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Mix together all ingredients except cheese. Pour mixture into greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
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The April 1, 1989, issue of the Agricultural Review also featured a peanut recipe.
“Regardless of how you eat your peanuts, they are full of nutrition – from protein, thiamine, riboflavin and phosphorus to iron, potassium, niacin, fiber and no cholesterol!” wrote then-NCDA Home Economist Barbara Minter.
It would seem the combination of peanuts and cheese stood the test of time, with this issue listing a recipe for homemade cheese sticks with peanuts. Here it is:
Hot Peanut Cheese Sticks
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half a 17 ¼ oz. package)
- 1 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)
- 1 ¾ teaspoons crushed red pepper
- 1 egg white
- 1 ¼ cup finely chopped roasted peanuts
Let sheet of pastry thaw for about 20 minutes. Unfold pastry sheet onto a lightly floured board; roll into a 15 x 18-inch rectangle. In a small bowl, stir together cheddar cheese and crushed red pepper. Sprinkle mixture onto pastry, lightly pressing mixture into pastry. Cut sheet lengthwise into three strips, 5 x 18 inches each. Cut each strip horizontally into pieces about 1-inch wide. Holding each piece at opposite ends, twist into spiral. In a small bowl, beat egg white until frothy. Brush each twist with egg white and roll in chopped peanuts. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until brown. Yields: 54 twists.