I love onions, with sandwiches, chicken, sausage, in soups, casseroles, salads, in my cream cheese, omelets. My anxiety level goes up when I see we have just two onions left in the basket and I start vocalizing “Onions, we need Onions”. I don’t want to be caught without them, and when I use that last one without taking action on my own warning, it’s over, the end, I can’t cook. I can’t imagine where and what to start with and walk around in circles, my mind racing with what am I going to make? I was thinking, and wondering if I had been around in the primitive days, what would I have done?

I caught up with my favorite friends and pastime in my dream position, “Studying and Teaching Food of Yesteryear” and learned that food historians believe onions originated in Central Asia, while others chronicled it was first grown in Iran, and W. Pakistan…In time some believe pilgrims brought them on the Mayflower, we recognize onions having been around since the Bronze age. The oldest prerecorded harvest was over 7,000 years ago! In North America, our Indian forerunners ate wild mushrooms very early, long before farming and even writing was invented.

Egyptology speculated that while onions remains somewhat a mystery, in their writings, onion use was believed to have had magical powers and held high spiritural power and purpose. There was no doubt that their strong scent would prompt the dead to breathe again and succeed in the afterlife. In the tombs, they used onions to cover the eyes, ears and any other open passageway and even placed them on their heads, chest, armpits. It was because of its spherical shape and concentric rings that it was regarded as healing properties and objects of worship-symbolizing eternity such as life circle within a circle structure of morphology. They were often used as a funeral offerings and shone upon the altars of the Gods. Held in high appeal it was said that paintings of onions appeared on the inner walls of the pyramids and tombs.

Considered “Herbs of the Bible” In Egypt, it can be traced 3500 BC and thought to have been cultivated in Chinese gardens over 5000 years ago. Time and place of it’s origin is a mystery-documents show very early theoretical account of time and described its importance as food and use in art, medicine and mummification as the Egyptians established. Indians celebrated it as medicine. Knowledge of this included use as a diuretic, good digestion/heart, eyes and joints, induce sleep and released tension headaches.

It’s appeal goes far beyond flavor when considering their role in history and health. As a humble vegetable, it was a staple in prehistoric diets. It could be grown in a variety of soils and climate conditions, was easy to grow, less perishable, transportable and easy to dry to be be preserved and sought to have been useful for sustaining human life by preventing thirst and be used when food was scarce especially in the Ancient Roman times.

Our native Indians had already discovered wild onions in North America’s forest and included them in their diets and rituals, but when the pilgrims landed, establishing themselves proved to be difficult as they faced three really long years, clearing lands, learning climate, seasons, and settling in farming, gardening, cooking, hunting, fishing and taking care of their animals. They worked together with the natives combining the wild and seedlings until they finally filled the land with an abundance of provisions.

Today, everything you eat, drink or wear were gifted to us, created from basic, natural ingredients.

No longer the humble onion, this beautiful mistake of Mother Nature, deserves much higher praise, especially for its endurance, stealth, adaptability and sustainability. It temps your taste buds in a variety of formed mixture to add the perfect touch to your meal. A staple in the kitchen it provides an amazing culinary accent of layers of flavor, color and textures to a wide use from breakfast to supper and in every ethnic cuisine. In the Produce Dept., the yellow, red and white onion are surrounded by its relatives. This includes leeks, chives, shallots, pearl onions, green, Spanish, Bermuda, Red Wing, even garlic, all layered and stacked side by side with their little tags. The many varieties all contain unique flavors and prepared differently. Let the luscious smell waft through the kitchen! There is no shortage of this we called an onion and hopefully never, ever, ever run out. Out of the 21 or so categories, I have touch on the most used and popular.

On a road trip last week heading down the mountain, * (OK, this is me whining…Always GOGOGO,) No time to enjoy anything, putting as much stressful things in as possible in the time we have to get there and head back quickly, God knows where. I, of course, multitasking and not getting anything done, and trying not to pass out and vomit from being dizzy, sat in the back seat typing in my article while the car was hitting rough spot, swaying like a tilt-a-whirl at the fair. To get my mind off of things, I started to throw tidbits to Marie and MaMa in the front seat to make sure they sounded right and to see if I could remember them from my research. So now let me fill you with interesting facts about onions.

• The National Onion Association. A fantastic resource for teachers for onion instruction, (yes, that exist!) there’s a section for teachers to print off a very detailed lesson plan that includes theory, nutrition, health and hazards which has been accredited with core standards of education.

• According to them (NOA), onion consumption has increased 50% in the last 20 years.

• Today 125,000 acres of onions are planted in the US each year. That’s 85% of all the produce crop.

• 20 % are fresh cut or processed for retail and food service, all others are sold to consumers for fresh consumption.

• On average, the US per capita is 22 pounds a year. I’m not in total agreement when I heard someone doesn’t like onions when we are eating 22 pounds a year each!

• 450 truckloads are loaded and sent out each day! (Got to love that!)

• The Guinness Book of World Records list the largest onion ever grown was a whopping 10 pound, 14 ounces! That’s a big baby!

• A medium size onion only has 30 calories and no fat, and claims to be 12% of your daily fiber needs!

• One way of getting rid of bad breath after eating raw onions is to chomp on salted parsley!

• It’s nutritional value include Vitamin B1 and B6, potassium, manganese, folic acid and quercetin. Due to these, it has been said that it helps increase the levels of good cholesterol in the body as well as lower blood pressure, mental acuity and improve circulation. I should see everybody walking around with onions, eating the onions like apples!

• June 27 is the official National Onion Day! Onion Up Y’all!

• Of all the onions, they are 3 types commonly used, Yellow, Red, White.

• Of the whole crop 87% is yellow, 8% red, 5% white and yes, they are considered seasonal!

• Spring/Summer onions will have thin skin, lighter color, crispier juicer flavor…They have a higher water content, lower shelf life, bruise

easily and range from sweet to mild. These are considered best for salads, sandwiches and lightly grilled.

• Fall/Winter onions have multiple layers of thick, darker colored skin. They have a low water content and higher shelf life. Their distinctive mild to pungent flavor is best for savory dishes and more flavorful when used in long cooking time dishes.

• Ancient Egyptians also used the onion in a test for pregnancy, the story here goes that a woman would insert an onion in her vagina and if her breath smelled like onions the next day, it would indicate pregnancy. WOW!

• As individuals, each has its own personality and traits. The yellow being the most popular grown is considered all purpose. Full flavored and reliable for any type of cooking. In cooking it, it turns a rich dark color, boast a mellow, tangy and nutty taste. Sometimes has a sweet quality when caramelized.

• Often overlooked, the red onion has increased in popularity in the past decade especially in food service. It’s wonderful flavor, sharp, spicy, mild to pungent is used fresh for it’s bright tones and bold color in salads and sandwiches. It has low water content, longer shelf life. Delicious as Grilled, Roasted and Charbroiled.

• As the smallest percentage of US crops, White onions comes in at 5%, delicate, full flavored, cleaner, dimly spicier, used best in prepared salads, white sauces, cooks (sauteed) golden and sweet, lighter flavor. Mostly traditional for classic Mexican, South West, Gourmet French cuisine.

• Onions have curative power, pungent onion juices soothe bee stings, or can be used as natural grill cleaners which instead of using harsh chemicals works well. Run halved onion on the grates and

place the onions on the coal to provide a mellow onion flavor to your grilled meats.

• They persevere, their skin keeps bacteria at bay so that the juices preserve themselves.

• Did you know onion skins can is used as a natural fabric and textile dye without adding abrasive chemicals?

• Coming around full circle, onions that don’t make it to market are fed to sheep, agriculturally it has been found to reduce feed and water cost.

• As masters of disguise, on the outside they are unassuming, on the inside they are like little warriors, ready to make you cry, and challenge your cooking skills!

• Onion “garbage” from the kitchen is good used with your other scraps to make compost and awesome vegetable broth.

• Leftover onion parts are also being used in CA as alternative fuel to power the entire plant which when processed lowers electrical cost. The Gills Onion Alliance Energy Resource System also proudly states that in 10 years, they have created enough power to fuel 460 homes.

Being the most memorable ingredient found in kitchens today, not only for the flavor but for more in it’s tear-inducing capabilities, Indeed slicing onions can make you cry even if you don’t want to…You can wear a pair of goggles and walk around that way, silly! Some say having a dish of water in front of the board works to cut down on the crying, also you can try chilling the onions and cut into the root end of it last, I myself when I was on kitchen duty having to do 2 large, 50# bags of large yellow onions, peeled and sliced into rings, found myself running like no tomorrow to the freezer and tried to keep my eyeballs wide open exposed to the cold to cut the burn down and crying at bay, anyway it’s not us, it’s the sulfur compounds in onions that causes the eyes to water and burn to cry when we chop them. And for those who “hate” onions, who as a cook hasn’t minced one and slipped some into a recipe for the flavor?

I know I have…Wasn’t it delicious though? It behoove me not to share onion recipes favorites, some from my personal collection and I was able to score also from the Oquossoc House Restaurant Treasure Box. Enjoy!

Country French Onion Casserole

Simple and wonderful side dish in a cream sauce. Prep 30 min. Bake 350*/45 minutes. Yields 6-8

5 large Sweet Onions cut into thin slices, ½ C. Butter, ½ C. Sour Cream, 2 Tbs. Flour, 1/8 tsp. Salt, 10-12 Buttery Crackers, ½ Grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese.

Preheat to 350* Grease 9X13 pan, or Pyrex casserole baking dish. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, Add onions; cook and stir gently until tender. Turn off heat, stir in sour cream and cheese, mix gently. Transfer to baking pan, cover and Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle crushed crackers on top and continue baking until top is brown and bubbly.~ Carmen Glidden

Acadia French Onion Soup

Serves 4

2 Tbsp. of Olive Oil, 2 Tbsp. Butter cut into small parts, 2 lbs. or 6 very large Yellow Onion, sliced into thin slices. 1 Tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce, S & P to taste, 3 cans of Beef Broth or 3 ½ homemade beef stock, 3-4 cans of water or 3 ½ C. water, ½ c. dry sherry, 1 Small French Baguette, cut on a slant, 12 ounces of Gruyere, Fontina or Swiss or Parmesan cheese. Directions:

Melt oil and butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions, cook gently until tender, may take 35-40 minutes to caramelize, Add Beef Broth and water and simmer for 30 minutes-uncovered. Add seasonings, stock and sherry. Cook for approx. 30 minutes, partially covered to allow the flavors to combine. Season with S & P to taste. Meanwhile arrange bread on a sheet, broil until lightly golden brown, 1-2 minutes on each side. Ladle soup into four ramekins or small crocks or small oven proof bowls. Place bread on top to cover the surface of the soup, sprinkle or place sliced cheese on top of the bread and place under the broiler until cheese has melted and crusty brown. Serve immediately.~ Memere Aube. Circa 1954.

Onion Tart

A custardy batter that puffs up like a popover, crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. Has much potential for creative cooks, like sliced half cherry tomatoes, a Gruyere or Fontina shred. Enjoy.

Yields 6-8 servings Ingredients:

6 oz. Slab bacon (Now you know they’re had to have bacon!) cut into matchsticks,

4 Tbs. Unsalted butter, 2 Medium onions, thinly sliced lengthwise, S&P to taste,

1 ½ C. Flour, 1 tsp. Rosemary and garlic, 2 tsp. Dry mustard. 1 ¼ C. milk, 3 eggs, lightly beaten. Directions:

Heat Bacon in a skillet over medium heat, cook, stirring, until fat is rendered and bacon is crispy, (10-12 minutes). Remove from heat, use a slotted spoon, transfer to drain on paper towels, pour ½ to ¾ of the fat into 9 X11’ baking dish and set aside. Return skillet to medium heat, add butter, onions, S&P, and cook, stirring frequently, until caramelized, 12-15 minutes, Remove from heat and set aside. Heat oven to 450*. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, mustard, and pepper: add milk, eggs and stir until smooth. Let batter rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place baking dish with bacon fat in oven and let heat for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, pour in batter and sprinkle with rendered bacon and onions: return to oven and Bake until puffed and golden brown, 25-30 minutes. If there was ever anything you wanted to try on a whim that was inviting, full of flavor and ever so good. This is it. Scrappy Chef As always you can drop me a line at [email protected]. Your input is always welcomed, and from whom we love dearly, the final words this week come from:

~Julia Child~ It’s hard to imagine civilization without Onions.~