Onions: Cooking past the Moment

I mentioned earlier this week that I spent the weekend clearing the old and planting the new in the garden.  When I cleared the beds, I pulled out a decent number of spring onions.  I pulled them out first thing and then left them in piles in the grass near the beds for the whole day.  I did not bring them inside until almost nightfall.  Shame, shame!  In my own defense, it was a very busy day which included helping a neighbor with a new landscaping plan and participating in a bee hive inspection with the kids at Dunwoody Nature Center.  When I (finally) got around to bringing them in, they were wilted and I didn't quite know what to do with them (yet), so I stuck them in a wash pan in the sink with about an inch of water.  And, there, I left them.  This was on Sunday.  When I got around to thinking about them again, it was Tuesday.  Oddly, upon inspection, they looked fantastic!

No longer wilted.  Nice and firm, not soggy.

So, I got busy with the business of making something of them.  On a quest for the perfect recipe, I turned to a new cookbook in my collection that I can't seem to put down, Cooking in the Moment: A Year of Seasonal Recipes by Andrea Reusing.  It took me no time to find it, Onion-Braised Overnight Brisket.  With only 7 ingredients, each individual flavor is sure to shine.  Perfect.  At this point, I would like to mention the fact that, as a household, we do not eat much red meat.  We have a couple of family members with high cholesterol, so when we have red meat, it is a real treat.  Paired with the fresh from the garden wash pan onions, this certainly would be a treat.  And, I was off!

All pretty and clean.

Sliced and ready to be sauteed.  But, now, they must wait again while I tend to the meat.

Garlic, rough chopped.  You add the salt and chop until it forms a paste.

You rub the paste all over the non-fatty side of the brisket and sprinkle it with pepper.  Then, roll it up, tie it with twine and sear it on all sides.

Saute the onions with a little salt, sugar and oil.

Add the beef brisket to the onions and add a cup or so of water.

Make a blanket of parchment to capture the steam and keep it moist while it cooks.

Put it in a low oven (225 degrees) for 7 hours.  That's right, seven hours.

After seven hours of low-and-slow roasting, I challenge you to get this beef to the table without nibbling first.  It is simply impossible.  It comes out fork tender like I have never experienced before, absolutely delicious flavor -not one single flavor dominates but they are all there and beautifully balanced- and moist as can be.  There is a whole bit about doing something with the onions to make a sauce, but I did not get that far.  I tore into this thing with my bare hands while still in the pot and never looked back (at the recipe, that is).  Wow.  I realize this sounds a bit primitive, but I would just like to point out that I am anemic.  So, that is, at least, partially to blame.  I think.  Or, maybe not.  People, it was good!  What can I say?

I would also like to mention that the cookbook author, the clearly talented Andrea Reusing, will be cooking at Watershed on Sunday, May 1st.  I would love to attend.  But, my usual dinner date will be somewhere that is not here that evening.  Therefore, I may not.  Plus, I get this thing near great chefs.  I have a long history of being a mediocre-at-best home cook.  I have never poisoned anybody (that I know of) but it sure feels like I've come close a few times.  Right now, I am sure my Dad would like to chime in with a vegetarian pizza story from when I was a sophomore in high school that I will never live down.  It was not clear to me at such a tender age that a head of garlic was different than a clove.  When, the recipe for a single pizza called for 10 or 20 or 40 cloves (who can remember?), I substituted heads of garlic. The bottom line is, because of my sordid past in the kitchen, anytime I am near such culinary genius, I get strange.  In the event that you are not similarly afflicted and you would like to attend, here are the details:

 

Andrea Reusing comes to Watershed to promote her new book, Cooking in the Moment

  

The dinner will take place on Sunday, May 1 at 6:30 p.m. and will include six courses plus wine for $125. Tax and gratuity is included. For reservations, call Watershed at 404-378-4900.

Finally, if you would like to preview the cookbook, you can do so here.

The FULL File: Baby, meet Honey

Here's another fun use for those delicious baby Vidalia onions should you have some handy.  This recipe stems from a sort-of challenge in my own mind with my husband.  The evening before, we were discussing the bees.  Of course, I was animated and excited.  He was dozing off.  Something, I can't image what, inspired me to ask my husband if he even likes honey.  He responded quickly with, "Oh my yes!  I just love honey to bits! I'm not sure.  When do I even eat honey?  What is it in?"  Say what?  I saw this as a challenge and an opportunity to enlighten my husband to the wonders of honey.  And, since we know he digs onions and I still had four left, I decided to go that route.  I was already planning on serving chicken in a teriyaki marinade and being a person who loves a theme, I decided to stick with Asian.  So, I immediately thought soy sauce.  And, then for reasons unknown to me, I thought lemons and rice wine vinegar.  It helped that I had them on hand and was determined to avoid a trip to the grocery store.  Now, I also thought sriracha, ginger and garlic, but there it got complicated so I stopped.  As with anything that comes out of my brain and results in food, this can be tweaked to no end to make it even better if you have the talent and fearlessness.  So go for it!  This is what I ended up with:

Honey and Soy Glazed Roasted Broccoli and Baby Vidalia Onions
serves 4
1 head of broccoli
4 baby Vidalia Onions
2 tablespoons of good honey, local if possible
1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons of lite soy sauce
1/4 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
pepper

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Trim the stalks (the green parts) off the onions leaving about 4 inches.  Cut the onions in half lengthwise.  
• Chop the broccoli however you like.
• Put the broccoli and onions on a baking sheet.  Drizzle the broccoli and onions with olive oil.  Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.
• Combine the honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and lemon juice and mix well.  This would also be a good time to add any spices like garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, a hit of hot sauce, lemon peel, etc.  You get the idea.
• Pour this over the broccoli and onions and shake them in the pan to get decent coverage on the vegetables.
• Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, tossing them around about half way through.

As we sat down to dinner, I anxiously awaited my husband's response to the veggies.  He loved them.  Or, that's what he said, anyway.  He is so sweet to me, one can never be sure.  It could be horrible and he would tell me it's delicious and eat every bite.  Two weeks later, which doesn't work for the purposes of this blog (Sorry- consider yourself warned!), he will gently tell me it wasn't his favorite.  Anyway, I asked him, "Can you guess what's in the marinade?"  Immediate deer in headlights reaction at the table.  I can only imagine what was going on in his mind, "This is a test.  I am supposed to know.  This is like when she asks me if I notice anything new or different about her."  I got, "Ummmm."  I said, "Honey!  There is honey in this!"  To which he laughed and responded, "Oh!  I get it.  Well, then, I guess I like honey!"  Baby, meet honey!

A tiny jar of honey I received as a gift for participating in the Metro Atlanta Beekeeper's Short Course in January.  It has been waiting for a special occasion.  I think this qualifies!

The broccoli and the onions, prepped.

On the pan, dressed and headed into the oven.

Dinner is served!

The FULL File: Bon Voyage, Baby Vidalia Onions!

Last week, my husband made a trip north to take care of his Mom.  She is recovering from surgery to repair a broken femur- the result of a skiing accident.  Not good.  I mean the broken femur, not the visit.  The visit was very good.  At any rate, I wanted to send my husband off with a full belly.  The way to a man's heart and all that.  Well, my man happens to have a thing for onions.  And, I just happen to have onions, sweet onions, in the garden just begging to be used.  I guess that makes us a match made in heaven the garden.

All I needed was a great recipe that would highlight the onions.  Enter, Quick-fix Southern: Homemade Hospitality in 30 Minutes or Less, and the Baby Vidalia Frittata.  Wouldn't you know it!  The onions growing in that photo just happen to be Yellow Granex Onions.  If the folks at Botanical Interests are to be believed, then this type of onion is approved by the Georgia Agricultural Commission for use by farmers growing the famous Vidalia Onions.  I planted some seeds last fall and had been waiting for them to be big, plump bulbs so I could yank them out of the earth and do something fun with them.  But, according to Rebecca Lang, the cookbook author, there was no reason to keep waiting.  She says, "Once I see the baby onions in the store, I use them in every recipe I can...  ...the onions are tender and delightful."  That was all the convincing I needed to commence yanking.  The fact that my husband also loves sharp Cheddar cheese was an added bonus.  And there you have it.  That is how the frittata and cornbread became my husband's bon voyage meal.

Fresh-picked onions and parsley

Baby Vidalia Frittata
Serves 6
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 baby Vidalia onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
8 large eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup pre-shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

• Move the oven rack to a position about 5 inches from the broiler. Heat the broiler.
• Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof, nonstick 10-inch skillet over medium heat. I used my trusty cast iron skillet.  Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring often, for 6 minutes or until soft. Arrange the onions evenly over the bottom of the skillet.
• Combine the eggs, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour over the onions. Cook, uncovered, over low heat for 9 minutes.  The center of the frittata will still be wet.
• Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the frittata and broil until the cheese is melted and the eggs are cooked, about 1 minute.
• Sprinkle with the parsley before serving.

Note:  While this recipe says it serves 6, it does not.  My husband and I each ate a healthy portion.  So, we'll just say this serves 3-4 for dinner-sized portions.  When I make this again, I will add additional fresh veggies like asparagus, broccoli, peppers, etc. 

The onions, ready to get cookin'!

Chopped onions and eggs.

Sauteing the onions in olive oil.

Eggs have just been added.

Next up, broiler.

Out of the broiler and ready to be dressed.

All done.  Let's eat!

Delicious!

For anybody who is interested in this cookbook or Rebecca Lang, you can see her demonstrate a few of her recipes at Whole Foods, Johns Creek, on April 26th.  It costs $49 and includes a copy of her cookbook.

Here's a bit more info:
  
Quick Fix Southern: Homemade Hospitality in 30 Minutes or Less
Tuesday, April 26th

6:30 to 8:30pm $49 Demonstration

Y’all come and get it! Tonight’s class features recipes from Rebecca’s new cookbook, Quick-Fix Southern: Homemade Hospitality in 30 Minutes or Less. Mouthwatering meals can be prepared in a jiffy, thanks to Rebecca Lang’s tasty recipes that defy the notion that Southern cooking is a time-consuming endeavor. In addition to being quick without sacrificing flavor, each recipe is inviting, simple to make, and user-friendly – even for novice chefs. Rebecca, a popular cooking instructor, sprinkles in expert cooking tips and tidbits of Southern history, providing added spice to this evening’s class. Students will also be invited to join in and make “Rebecca’s Quick Icebox Pickles” to take home. A copy of Rebecca’s new cookbook is included in the price of the class.  MENU: Pickled Okra & Ham Wheels; Ribeyes with Bourbon Pecan Butter; Asparagus Bundles with Bacon; and Lazy Girl Berry Cobbler.

You can register for this event by clicking -->here<--.