Dish description: Trumpet mushroom “scallops” over lentil & boiled peanut ragu paired with veggies & peanut gremolata

Team representative: Becca Noren Schlosberg, MS, RDN, Senior Culinary Manager, Purple Carrot

Can you lend any insights as to how your team created this, and the resulting flavors?

BN: We wanted to showcase the versatility that peanuts can have in sauces, and we were excited to show the peanuts in their whole form, with more French-forward flavors. The peanut gremolata idea was a result of our team wanting to bring brightness and acid to the dish. We wanted to utilize the whole peanuts here as well because we thought it was a fun way to piece each component of the dish together. The “Scallop” Mushrooms were marinated in peanut butter, the Boiled Peanut Ragu and the Peanut Gremolata both had the whole raw peanuts. Utilizing the whole raw peanuts in the gremolata felt like it helped tie the dish together and bring just a touch of peanut flavor throughout each component.

General thoughts on how peanuts in various forms lend appeal to vegetarian/vegan dishes?

BN: Peanuts in all various forms (peanut butter, whole/raw, roasted, crushed, etc.) can provide a great source of nutrition. Peanuts are a good source of protein and can be used as the protein in a vegetarian or vegan dish, as a sauce thickener, a sauce or the main flavor profile of a dish. Often, peanuts are sectioned off into their lane for nut butters or baked goods, but there are so many savory applications that are underutilized, and it’s exciting to see how chefs are starting to use peanuts in different savory applications.