For this lover of autumn, there’s a color that represents the season as clearly as a date on the calendar. It’s a soft, fuzzy gold — like glimmering waves of heat drifting up from a distant beach — a gentle and alluring image that reflects the welcome pulling-up on the hand brake of summer’s wild ride.
These faintly warm days always end with a nip in the air. Indeed, by November, the roar of the farmer’s combine has faded and kitchen rhythms have slowed from the frenetic pace we kept only weeks ago. There’s now time to contemplate fireside chats, crisp white linens, silver service and long-simmering stews. For every one reason it’s sad to leave the sunny days behind, I’ll give you five for moving on — beginning with the smell of cinnamon toast in the brisk morning air and a lovely glass of Pinot sipped under a harvest moon.
Even kitchen activities have a different feel and are accomplished at a more leisurely pace. And although there’s not quite the vast array of August bounty to fill the produce bins, there are still many offerings, including the tail end of the sweet and hot pepper crop, an impressive array of tomatoes and potatoes, and a new collection of onions.
The sweet, tempered varieties of summer are dwindling, of course. The heartier, more robust onions that replace them will take us through winter. Nature designed them to be the keepers that tide us over until the fresh sweet onions of spring come again.
All-purpose yellow globe: This onion is the workhorse in the kitchen, the one called upon most frequently to perform a wide range of tasks. Lower in water content than its spring and summer counterparts, the yellow globe is good for storage and is, therefore, more likely found throughout the year than any other in the onion family. These onions have a strong flavor which makes them the right candidate for long-term cooking, such as in stews and soups.
Spanish Sweets: This large yellow storage onion is known for its large, spherical shape and mild sweet flavor. It’s higher water content makes it a little less hot and slightly more crisp than the yellow storage onion. In the Pacific Northwest, these onions are usually referred to as Spanish Sweets, but they are not to be confused with the Walla Walla Sweet, which is strictly a spring-into- summer onion. The Spanish Sweet onion will keep into March, if treated well.
Red onion: Although most people think of “Bermuda” onion as the red onion, that particular variety died out in 1985. The red onion is similar in character to the Spanish onion — slightly sweet, with a crisp character. Although the red onion is a vibrant addition to uncooked dishes, its red pigment is unstable under heat and nonacid conditions, which means that the color is lost during cooking (or turns a bluish-greenish color), unless a bit of vinegar, wine, or lemon juice is added.
Cippoline: Pronounced “chi-po- li-nee,” this zesty little white onion gained in popularity as an Italian import, but is becoming increasingly more available in the states. You can recognize it by its small, squat dimension.
Pearl onions: Generally speaking, any white bulb onion you encounter that measures no larger than 1¼ inches in diameter is considered a pearl onion. People always seem to want white pearl onions; however, yellow or red would also be considered “pearls” as long as they measured up size-wise.
Boiling onions: Like the pearl onion, the boiling onion is determined by its size. To be considered in this category, the bulb must be just about golf-ball size. Typically, they’re white, although on occasion you’ll encounter red or yellow ones as well.
White storage onions: Although hot and strong in flavor, these are milder than the yellow storage onion, with a slightly “cleaner,” “crisper” character.
Easy pickled onion garnish
Makes about ¾ cup.
Among restaurant chefs around the country, this has become a popular garnish for salads, sandwiches, and a variety of side dishes. They are super easy to create in your own kitchen.
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1½ teaspoons salt
1 red onion, thinly sliced
In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt. Bring just to a boil, then remove from heat and let sit until slightly cool to the touch, but still very warm. Meanwhile place the onion slices in a jar. Pour the warm vinegar mixture over the onions. Let sit at room temperature for at least 3 hours before using. Cover and store in refrigerator. You can easily make larger batches, as desired.
Caramelized onions
Makes 3 to 4 cups of caramelized onions
This is a process that requires patience on your part. It can’t be rushed. Keep the temperature medium-low to low so the sugars in the onions have a chance to caramelize rather than burn. Don’t feel that this means you need to hover by the stove. Indeed, once the onions have softened and begun to brown, just check on them every 10 minutes and give them a gentle stir with the flat side of a spatula to scrape up all the cooked on bits of onion that are building on the bottom of the pot. This is where a ton of flavor is lurking and its important to incorporate it back into the onions during the process.
6 tablespoons butter
About 4 pounds (about 6 medium) yellow onions, peeled, quartered root to tip, then sliced very thin (1⁄8-inch wide.)
Salt and ground white pepper to taste
Place the butter and onions in a large, wide, deep heavy-bottomed pot, over medium heat. As the butter melts, toss the onions to coat them with the butter. Keep tossing them every few minutes until they are wilted and well coated with the butter. Reduce the heat to medium-low and keep cooking, tossing every now and then to keep them evenly heated, until soft and very, very brown. As the onions take on more and more color, turn the temperature down to low. The process will take a very long time if you’re doing it right, and varies, depending on the onions you are using (onions have varying degrees of moisture and sugar content, which affects the caramelization). Some will caramelize in only 90 minutes, others will take up to 2 hours. What you are looking for is a very deep mahogany color. The onions can be refrigerated for up to 10 days, or frozen for up to 6 months. To prepare for the freezer, arrange patty-sized mounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm; pack into recloseable freezer bags.
French onion soup
Makes 6 servings
1 batch of caramelized onions (see previous recipe)
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups beef broth
4 cups chicken broth
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
About 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
heaping ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
Salt to taste
Several thick slices (about 1⁄2-inch) of French bread or baguette
8 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
Place the caramelized onions in a large pot over medium heat. When the onions are soft and warm, add the wine, increase the temperature to medium high and cook, stirring several times, until the wine has reduced by half or even a little beyond half. Stir in the beef and chicken broth, along with the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and salt to taste. Bring the soup back to a gentle simmer, then reduce to medium, cover the pot, and continue simmering gently for about 20 minutes, so the flavors can develop and meld. Meanwhile, toast the bread slices on both sides to a golden brown; remove from oven. When ready to serve, ladle the soup into oven-proof individual-serving crocks or straight-sided oven-proof soup bowls. Arrange one or two croutons on top and sprinkle generously with the shredded cheese. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and broil until the cheese has melted and begun to brown; remove from heat and serve. Be careful; the bowls will be very hot.
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis food writer, artist, and author of “Oregon Hazelnut Country, the Food, the Drink, the Spirit,” and four other cookbooks. Readers can contact her by email at janrd@proaxis.com, obtain additional recipes and food tips on her blog at www.janrd.com.
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