Dessert or side dish? Use pecans

Pecans are at home on the festive table and have long been a staple of holiday candies and desserts. They have their own sweet kiss, adding a little sugar to any dish, be it dessert or side dish.

Harvest season for pecans begins in mid October and continues through the end of the year. Georgia, New Mexico and Texas are the nation's largest growers of pecans.

The pecan is the only nut indigenous to the Americas and was a major source of protein for American Indians in the South.

Pecans are long-lasting; when stored properly, they hold their freshness for up to two years. Shelled or unshelled, if kept in an air-tight container, pecans will last in refrigeration for up to nine months and in the freezer for up to two years.

We like the idea of starting Christmas morning with Pecan Cinnamon Muffins. They can be made up to a week ahead and frozen in an air-tight container.

Serve with apple butter or cream cheese.

If you have to take a dish to a pot-luck feast, consider a spinach salad. Mix spinach leaves with roasted sweet potatoes, pecans and dried cranberries, then dress the salad with a maple-mustard vinaigrette.

The recipe makes 12 to 16 servings, so you'll have plenty for a crowd.

Stuffed sweet potatoes can be made early in the day, then warmed right before serving.

Cranberries, pecans and pears spiced with ginger and balsamic vinegar are stuffed into the baked sweet potatoes.

They're a fancy accompaniment to simple turkey and a good choice for a vegetarian entree, too.

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