Onions
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Baked
Onions
German Onion Cake
See Also: Nearly every other vegetable page!
There are 300 species of onion within the allium genus, seventy of which are native to North America. They vary in size, shape, taste and smell. The bulb onion is indisputably the most universal seasoning used by humans. Believed cultivated since prehistoric times, the onion seems to have originated in the middle East and southwest Asia with references dating back to 3200 B.C. The ancient Egyptians saw the concentric circles of the onion as a symbol of the universe and treated it as an object of worship. In North America the native peoples used wild onion long before European settlers arrived with cultivated varieties. To this day, some form of onion is integral to just about every country's cuisine around the world. The pungency of the onion directly reflects the amount of sulfur in the soil in which it was grown. A sulfur compound within the onion turns into sulfuric acid when in contact with the water in eyes, causing a cook painful tears! It is worth it for the many gifts of the onion. Beyond flavor, the onion has always been touted for its various health and healing benefits.
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Chill onions thoroughly in fridge or cut under running water to subdue fumes that cause tears during chopping. |
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The longer an onion is cooked, the milder it becomes. For strongest flavors and medicinal benefits use onion raw or lightly cooked. |
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Boil onions until tender; 15 minutes for small, 30 for large. Try served topped with butter, a sprinkling of herbs and Parmesan cheese. |
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Long baking or oven roasting brings out sweetness and caramelizes the natural sugars. Try surrounding a roasting meat with small to medium yellow onions. |
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Add chopped onions to a hearty homemade bread dough or cornmeal batter. |
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Add chopped or diced raw sweet onion, chives, or scallions to a variety of salads, such as green, pasta, potato or marinated and chilled style. |
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Onion is a flavor enhancer - use them generously in soups, stews, casseroles, etc. |
4 large whole onions, peeled
2 tablespoons softened butter
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oven to 375°F. Slice off 1/2 inch of stem end of each onion. Spread cut surfaces with butter and sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Place each onion on a square of foil large enough to completely enclose it. Wrap each onion up tightly and bake about 1 hour.
Makes four servings. From A Kitchen Garden.
2 cups coarsely chopped onions (3 large)
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 teaspoons baking powder
5 tablespoons vegetable shortening
3/4 - 1 cup milk
1 egg, well beaten
3/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon paprika In a medium skillet, sauté the onions in butter over low heat until they just begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, the marjoram, and the pepper. Set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 450°F. In a food processor bowl, place flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and the remaining salt; mix. Add the shortening and process just until it is the texture of soft crumbs. Add the milk and mix quickly to form a soft dough.
Oil a 10-inch-round cake pan and lightly use your fingers to spread the dough out evenly. Spread the cooked onion over the top. Beat the egg and sour cream together. Spoon the mixture over the onion, and spread it out to the very edge of the pan. Sprinkle lightly with poppy seeds and paprika. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut into wedges. Makes 10 generous servings.
From Cooking from Quilt Country by Marcia Adams.