Fresh onions all around
July 20, 2011 6:34 AM Subscribe
RecipeFilter: Onions! I recently acquired a few pounds of fresh, homegrown onions from a friend's garden. Tell me how to use them!
Just to note, they're not the sweet kind, just fairly standard white, yellow, and red onions. This is not to say that they need to be cooked to death, though - I used one to make an oil-and-vinegar pasta salad, and it was delish, especially after it marinated a bit.
So! I need some nice, summery recipes where these onions will really shine. The only idea I've got so far is to use some of them in some kind of nice flavorful salsa (maybe one of the ones here? but which one?). I'm open to any and all suggestions, though - cooked dishes, salads, pickles, whatever. My overpowering onion breath thanks you in advance!
Just to note, they're not the sweet kind, just fairly standard white, yellow, and red onions. This is not to say that they need to be cooked to death, though - I used one to make an oil-and-vinegar pasta salad, and it was delish, especially after it marinated a bit.
So! I need some nice, summery recipes where these onions will really shine. The only idea I've got so far is to use some of them in some kind of nice flavorful salsa (maybe one of the ones here? but which one?). I'm open to any and all suggestions, though - cooked dishes, salads, pickles, whatever. My overpowering onion breath thanks you in advance!
Oh man, French onion soup. You slice them, slow-sauté them for hours in butter and then fill up with broth and white wine and cook them into total submission, fill into ovenproof soup bowls, top with croutons and grated nicey-nice cheese à la Gruyère, Parmiggiano, whatnot and brown the topping under the broiler-thingy.
Otherwise fegato alla Veneziana
Alsacian onion tart.
(Be sure to poke around for more recipes for these classics, there are variations, and some might be more to your taste than others).
posted by Namlit at 6:41 AM on July 20, 2011 [4 favorites]
Otherwise fegato alla Veneziana
Alsacian onion tart.
(Be sure to poke around for more recipes for these classics, there are variations, and some might be more to your taste than others).
posted by Namlit at 6:41 AM on July 20, 2011 [4 favorites]
Caramelized onion dip! Also, here is more about caramelizing onions.
posted by neushoorn at 6:48 AM on July 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by neushoorn at 6:48 AM on July 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Depending on the size of your onions, salsa will only eat up 1/2 - 1 onion. Dry roast a tomato, onion, and a chile (I use serrano) in a cast iron skillet, then toss in a blender with a bunch of cilantro and a little salt. Done!
Onion slices make a wonderful bed for any roast meat, as they flavor the cooking liquids, which can then be turned into a gravy.
2nding the onion soup option, as that will eat up lots of onions. You gotta cook the hell out of them to get them where they need to be, but it can't go fast, so you'll just have to wait them out.
The onion tart sounds delicious. I've got a couple of pounds of onions right now, and might consider making a rustic version of that.
posted by Gilbert at 6:58 AM on July 20, 2011
Onion slices make a wonderful bed for any roast meat, as they flavor the cooking liquids, which can then be turned into a gravy.
2nding the onion soup option, as that will eat up lots of onions. You gotta cook the hell out of them to get them where they need to be, but it can't go fast, so you'll just have to wait them out.
The onion tart sounds delicious. I've got a couple of pounds of onions right now, and might consider making a rustic version of that.
posted by Gilbert at 6:58 AM on July 20, 2011
If you caramelize a bunch of them, you can freeze them in small batches to toss into cooking later.
posted by rmd1023 at 6:58 AM on July 20, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by rmd1023 at 6:58 AM on July 20, 2011 [4 favorites]
One of my household favorites: Marcella Hazan's incredible smothered onion pasta sauce. Especially easy if you have a mandoline.
posted by halogen at 7:16 AM on July 20, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by halogen at 7:16 AM on July 20, 2011 [3 favorites]
Yeah, carmelize 'em. Then spoon onto burgers, salads, scrambled eggs, whatever.
posted by notyou at 7:18 AM on July 20, 2011
posted by notyou at 7:18 AM on July 20, 2011
nthing the ideas above and ... how about wild rice and onion bread?
posted by anya32 at 7:20 AM on July 20, 2011
posted by anya32 at 7:20 AM on July 20, 2011
I love pickling both red and white onions using the Zuni Cafe Recipe, which I've linked to on the Orangette blog. So summery and crunchy and delicious alone or as a condiment to just about anything.
posted by Lisitasan at 7:20 AM on July 20, 2011
posted by Lisitasan at 7:20 AM on July 20, 2011
Along the same lines as what Lisitasan just posted, I've used this recipe and then put these onions on everything (but I love onions something indecent): Pickled Red Onions a la Yucateca. Bonus: these are ready in about 10 minutes.
posted by sa3z at 7:34 AM on July 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by sa3z at 7:34 AM on July 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
I forgot to say: I just used lime juice in my recipe. I'm sure it wasn't as delicious as the authentic recipe with bitter orange (or even the substituted mix of juices she recommends), and probably was a little tarter than it should have been, but I still enjoyed it.
posted by sa3z at 7:38 AM on July 20, 2011
posted by sa3z at 7:38 AM on July 20, 2011
Any recipe that calls for onions, you can make to highlight your produce bounty, just by using more onion - for example, gaspacho becomes onion gaspacho, or spaghetti sauce becomes caramelized onion spaghetti sauce, just by shifting the ratios.
posted by aimedwander at 7:55 AM on July 20, 2011
posted by aimedwander at 7:55 AM on July 20, 2011
Onion Bhaji! My dad used to make this all the time - sort of an Indian take on onion rings. Delicious, uses a lot of onions, and accompanies most any dish.
posted by ORthey at 8:14 AM on July 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by ORthey at 8:14 AM on July 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
How about stuffing those onions? With meat and fruit and rice if you're a meateater, or with anything else you so desire? Or making a confit of onions to go with your BBQ or just some lovely bread.
posted by Lisitasan at 8:16 AM on July 20, 2011
posted by Lisitasan at 8:16 AM on July 20, 2011
Onion pie The onions go nice and sweet
Creamed Onions
I like to actually put the creamed onion mix into pie cases too for a savoury pie.
posted by wwax at 8:31 AM on July 20, 2011
Creamed Onions
I like to actually put the creamed onion mix into pie cases too for a savoury pie.
posted by wwax at 8:31 AM on July 20, 2011
I just made onion soup while on vacation in France. It was cool and overcast there, so it wasn't inappropriate to the season as some of my traveling companions suggested it might be. Here's how we make it in my family.
Peel and quarter a metric ton of onions.
Now peel and quarter some more.
Into a large pot with them. Also about 250g of butter. Salted is okay!
Toss in a couple bouillon cubes. Beef recommended. But whatever floats your boat.
Peel and slice a couple cloves of garlic. Toss them in.
Decide it isn't going to be garlicky enough. Add a few more.
A dash of Worcestershire sauce. Oh, a dollop. Oh, okay, a few more.
A heaping spoon of good mustard. (NO! Were you not listening?! I said GOOD! Put away that yellow stuff!)
Now reduce this concoction until it is brown and squishy. Those are the technical terms. You can bake it if you'd like until it is even further reduced.
Once it is sufficiently reduced, add water. Or stock. Or both.
Simmer for, seemingly, ever. Let the total volume reduce.
Put a delicious cheese in a bowl along with a crouton (or just a nice piece of french bread).
Ladle your soup in over that.
Enjoy.
posted by jph at 8:35 AM on July 20, 2011 [4 favorites]
Peel and quarter a metric ton of onions.
Now peel and quarter some more.
Into a large pot with them. Also about 250g of butter. Salted is okay!
Toss in a couple bouillon cubes. Beef recommended. But whatever floats your boat.
Peel and slice a couple cloves of garlic. Toss them in.
Decide it isn't going to be garlicky enough. Add a few more.
A dash of Worcestershire sauce. Oh, a dollop. Oh, okay, a few more.
A heaping spoon of good mustard. (NO! Were you not listening?! I said GOOD! Put away that yellow stuff!)
Now reduce this concoction until it is brown and squishy. Those are the technical terms. You can bake it if you'd like until it is even further reduced.
Once it is sufficiently reduced, add water. Or stock. Or both.
Simmer for, seemingly, ever. Let the total volume reduce.
Put a delicious cheese in a bowl along with a crouton (or just a nice piece of french bread).
Ladle your soup in over that.
Enjoy.
posted by jph at 8:35 AM on July 20, 2011 [4 favorites]
They keep pretty well. You can bake an onion - cut off the top, wrap in foil and add a bit of olive oil to the top before closing the foil. Bake about an hour. Sweet and mellow, yum.
The versions of onion tart above sound good. I cook them in olive oil till transparent and golden, then use as filling in quiche, with cheese. It's really good.
posted by theora55 at 9:03 AM on July 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
The versions of onion tart above sound good. I cook them in olive oil till transparent and golden, then use as filling in quiche, with cheese. It's really good.
posted by theora55 at 9:03 AM on July 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
I would use the red onions in a Greek salad--onion, green pepper, cuke, feta, olives, olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano. Keep in mind that the other onions will keep for a long time in a cool place, but the red will spoil faster because they're sweeter.
posted by WorkingMyWayHome at 1:28 PM on July 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by WorkingMyWayHome at 1:28 PM on July 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Seconding french onion soup. I really want to make this recipe, from Smitten Kitchen. It sounds pretty simple, although time consuming.
posted by echo0720 at 3:13 PM on July 20, 2011
posted by echo0720 at 3:13 PM on July 20, 2011
Beer-Battered Onion Rings. Batter them, then freeze them on a parchment papered sheet tray, then into a Ziplok. When you get a craving, you can take out what you need, and straight into oil.
posted by JABof72 at 11:29 PM on July 21, 2011
posted by JABof72 at 11:29 PM on July 21, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by goggie at 6:39 AM on July 20, 2011 [1 favorite]