Monday, October 20, 2014

Onions

ABC Wednesday
October 22nd, 2014

The letter is O and the subject is ONIONS



Julian Merrow-Smith

What can I tell you about the onion that you don't already know.

Such an ancient, familiar, priceless part of our plant heritage, onions are endlessly
versatile and absolutely essential in so many of the dishes we savour.

When chopped, onions produce a volatile, sulphur rich oil that makes the eyes water, but
never let that deter you  - its taste, the lovely odour it imparts when cooking
and the unbelievable medicinal qualities it has make it one of the most valued additions
to any menu.

What is a kitchen without a bag full of onions - red, white, purple - all
delicious and so good for you!

I keep a half a dozen frozen onion soups ready in the freezer for days I have
unexpected company for lunch, or to pop into the oven on chilly, damp days.


and what better than onion rings to spice up a burger, or eat alongside a green salad!!


I love onions roasted in the oven, or the delicious aroma of them frying in a pan.

I am particularly addicted to creamed onions served as a vegetable....(although my youngest son only 
recommends creamed onions as a poultice if you get bitten by an alligator)

but what I love most is Onion Pie!!!!


Here is a nice recipe I use....

Combine one and one half cups of flour, 3/4 tsp of salt and one and one half
teaspoons of caraway seed.
Add one half a cup of shortening (diced) and cut into flour mixture.
Mix with 3 tablespoons of ice cold water.

Well you know how to do this pastry making thing, and when you have mixed if and rolled
it and fitted it into a pie pan, bake at 425 degrees for ten minutes.

In the meantime, back at the range, saute three cups of thinly sliced onions
in three tablespoons of butter. Spoon into the baked pastry shell.

Add one and one quarter cups of sour cream and 1/4 of a teaspoon of salt to
two eggs, well beaten.

Blend two tablespoons of flour with a quarter cup of sour creams and combine this
with the egg mixture.

Pour over the onions and bake at 325 degreesF for thirty minutes.
It is nice garnished with bacon curls.....

Very deliciously edible.....

When wool dyeing was one of my passions I used to save the thin papery skins of onions
and sometimes I would beg them from the local grocer,  and they
made a wonderful variety of yellows and golds with just an alum mordant and a bit of
baking soda and cream of tartar.



Also, for many years in my garden a cousin of the onion has been keeping company with the tulips
and looks very tall and elegant amongst them - the allium, also available
in white and pinks.


For more interesting Os visit here at ABC Wednesday
with many thanks to Roger, Denise and the people on their team
who come to visit you....


14 comments:

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

Ah, lovely!
My onions have grown splendidly this year. We seem to have had just the weather they love; I haven't even needed to water them.

The Weaver of Grass said...

I agree with you Hildred, they are a very versatile vegetable. Our garden shed has strings of onions from our garen hanging up to dry.

Trubes said...

Most interesting post it made my mouth water. I use lots of onions in cooking, so versatile. I love roasted onions with the centre removed and filled with soft cheese and then wrapped in prosciutto, drizzled with olive oil, when cooked I drizzle some honey and pistachio nuts...simple and delicious.

Best wishes,
Di.x

carol l mckenna said...

Lovely post and great choice for O !

Happy Week to you.
artmusedog and carol (A Creative Harbor)

Roger Owen Green said...

I had some amazingly mediocre French onion soup recently. GOOD onion soup is the best!

ROG, ABCW

Reader Wil said...

Hi Hildred! I love nions too Thanks for the recipes and the tip for dyeing wool.I love that soft colour.
Have a great week!
Wil, ABCW Team

Shady Gardener said...

What a wonderfully, thoughtful post! I think I need to make that onion pie!! Perhaps it would cure a cold? :-)

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

This must be my favorite alphabet post ever. Because I love onions too. And that pie sounds scrumptious. Love the idea of adding carraway seed to a savory pie crust.

ellen b. said...

I am very fond of onions and you have my mouth watering with all these lovely ways to enjoy them!!

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

My son aged 18 and when he as younger, loves onions. he even eats them raw.

When I was in Canada, I bought onion paper because it was very light.

Lmkazmierczak said...

We had good luck with onions in our garden this year...informative post♪ http://lauriekazmierczak.com/orange-maple-leaf/

NCSue said...

Wonderful images.

Barb said...

Bob will definitely be coming for lunch, Hildred!

Strawberry Jam Anne said...

We love onions and I use them a lot Hildred. The pie recipe looks wonderful. Great post!