Typically, the onion is thought of as a hearty, tear-inciting gorilla of a vegetable, potent enough to stand up to the mightiest salsa one can devise, and therefore risky to use.
But in spring, onions come on softly: delicate chives, juicy sweet onions, green garlic and exquisitely hued bunch onions.
Of them all, the sweet onion has garnered the most attention in the past few years — even though Yellow Granex Hybrid doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.
It’s the catchy names such as Georgia’s Vidalia that stick in people’s minds. Which is definitely good for business.
Several other regions of the country also have cashed in on this designer onion’s success, such as our very own Pacific Northwest specialty, the Walla Walla Sweet, the Texas 1015, Maui onions and California’s Imperial Sweets.
But the qualities that make them so desirable — high sugar and water content — also make them susceptible to destruction.
When the humidity and mercury are high, mold is just around the corner. Thus, varieties available by April, Vidalia and Texas 1015 Sweet, rarely can be found past June, and the summer Walla Walla Sweet and California Imperial Sweet wane by late August.
Because of its gentle nature, the sweet onion is best suited for less robust concoctions. Long, slow cooking in butter turns a pile of crisp raw rings into a decadent platter of caramelized paradise, fit to accompany your finest sizzling sirloin. Baking or barbecuing them whole — with a small well hollowed out of the top for a dollop of herbed butter — is another way to take advantage of their dramatic size and delicate flavor.
The other direction to take this delightful spring-into-summer commodity is in recipes that complement its crunchy texture and delicate flavor.
That means I’m using my sweets in their raw state a majority of the time. Thanks to their mildness, you can use enough to impart a fresh, crisp texture to salads, salsas and relishes, and to make sandwiches that just can’t be achieved any other way.
This first recipe is a sweet and cozy offering with the smooth taste of onion and rich broth.
Caramelize the sweet onions in a slow cooker when the spirit moves. The soup can be assembled and heated in under 15 minutes.
Caramelized sweet onion soup
3-4cups of caramelized sweet onions, with the cooking liquid (recipe follows)
3cups beef broth (canned is OK)
1cup chicken broth (canned is OK)
1/2cup dry white wine
1/2teaspoon ground white pepper
Salt to taste
6thick slices French bread, toasted
1generous cup grated Gruyere cheese
In large pot, heat the caramelized sweet onions and the cooking liquid with the beef broth, chicken broth, white wine and white pepper. Add salt to taste, if necessary.
When ready to serve, ladle the hot soup into ovenproof serving bowls. Top each serving with one of the toasts, and sprinkle generously with the cheese. Place the bowls on a baking sheet under the broiler and broil just until the cheese bubbles and melts and begins to golden. Serve immediately.
Makes 6 servings.
Caramelized sweet onions in a crockpot: Peel about 3 pounds of sweet onions (such as Texas 1015, Vidalia or the Walla Walla Sweet) and slice into 1/4-inch thick rings. Place the onions and 6 tablespoons of butter in the insert of a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours, until the onions are deep brown and very soft. It’s almost impossible to overcook these; make sure to let them cook until they are a rich mahogany color. They may be prepared several days ahead and refrigerated (with the juices) until needed.
Spring greens and blue cheese in pear vinaigrette with caramelized sweet onion bread
6cups of baby salad greens
1ripe pear, cut into 1-inch wedges
1ripe Fuji apple, peeled (or not), cored and cut into wedges
Pear vinaigrette (recipe follows)
3ounces crumbled blue cheese
Caramelized sweet onion bread (recipe follows)
Toss the baby greens, pear wedges and apple wedges with enough pear vinaigrette to generously coat the leaves and fruit. Sprinkle in the blue cheese and toss again. Arrange a serving of the greens on individual salad plates. Arrange a slice of the caramelized sweet onion bread on each plate and serve.
Makes 4 servings
Pear vinaigrette
2(at least 4 ounce) firm-ripe pears, peeled and coarsely cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2/3cup white wine vinegar
1/4cup minced shallots
3tablespoons sugar
1teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary
1/2teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1tablespoon Dijon mustard
2teaspoons soy sauce
3/4teaspoon salt
1tablespoon green onion
1cup vegetable oil (a mixture such as 1/2 cup each of extra-virgin olive oil and canola)
Combine the pear, vinegar, shallots, sugar, rosemary and black pepper in a skillet and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the pears are tender, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a blender or food processor. Add the mustard, soy sauce, salt and green onions and puree. Scrape the mixture into a container, then whisk in the oils. Vinaigrette may be prepared up to 1 week ahead and refrigerated.
Makes 2 generous cups
Caramelized sweet onion cheese bread
1sweet onion (such a Texas 1015, Vidalia or Walla Walla Sweet)
2tablespoons butter
4slices of a good quality crusty bread (such as an Italian or ciabatta)
About 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Slice a sweet onion in half through its stem and root ends. Peel and slice each half into slender half-rings (between 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick). Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the onions until they are softened and just beginning to turn golden. Remove from heat and set aside.
Toast 4 slices of a good quality crusty bread on both sides. When ready to serve, divide the hot sauteed onions between the bread, then sprinkle on some grated cheddar cheese and let the heat from the onions melt it.
Spinach and salad greens with sweet onions and feta in sesame vinaigrette
1/2pound fresh spinach leaves, thoroughly washed with tough stems removed
Crisp inner leaves of Romaine lettuce, thoroughly washed and dried
1/2cup dried cranberries (“Craisins”) or dried cherries
1/2cup toasted toasted and chopped hazelnuts
8ounces Feta cheese, drained and crumbled (leave some 1/2-inch chunks so it isn’t too finely crumbled)
1ripe Hass variety avocado, peeled and sliced into bite-sized pieces
1navel orange, peeled and segmented by removing membrane around each piece
1/2sweet onion, sliced into rings or strips (whatever sweet onion is available, such as the Texas 1015, Vidalia or Walla Walla Sweet)
Tangy-sweet sesame vinaigrette (recipe follows)
After drying the spinach leaves, break larger ones into bite-sized pieces. Place all of the leaves into salad bowl. Wash the Romaine lettuce and remove the first two layers of dark green leaves; reserve for another salad. Break the inner, brighter green leaves into pieces and add to the bowl of spinach leaves.
To assemble and serve the salad, add to the bowl the dried cranberries, hazelnuts, feta cheese, avocado, orange segments and sweet onion rings. Whisk the vinaigrette thoroughly to mix the oil with the other ingredients, then drizzle on about half of the vinaigrette. Toss to coat the ingredients thoroughly. Then whisk the remaining vinaigrette again and drizzle on additional vinaigrette over the salad to taste.
Tangy-sweet sesame vinaigrette
1/3cup rice vinegar
2tablespoons sugar
1teaspoon salt
1/2teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2cup vegetable oil (such as canola oil)
In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients except oil. Whisk in oil (such as canola oil), then adjust seasonings.
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her by e-mail at janrd@proaxis.com.
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