I Rely on Onions

I don't remember the last time that there weren't onions in my larder. I rely on onions. I often decide what to cook while peeling and slicing an onion or two. I'll drizzle olive oil into a heated pan, and begin the meal by sautéing onions. When I cook for my mom, whose heartburn makes her onion-sensitive, I have to consciously rethink my customary culinary strategy. Onions and garlic are the flavor base backbone of my culinary repertoire.

Onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, and chives are all members of the large and varied lily family and the Allium genus. Historians believe that onions were a staple in the human diet as early as prehistoric times. Before humankind began cultivating crops, onions grew wild in many parts of the world. Ancient documents from all over the world chronicle the value placed on this bulbous vegetable. To ancient Egyptians, onions were an object of worship. Eternity was symbolically embodied in the circle-within-a-circle structure of the onion. Paintings of onions graced the walls of Egyptian tombs, and King Ramses was entombed with onions in his eye sockets. In the Old Testament (Numbers 11:15), the children of Israel lament the desert diet during their Exodus: "We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely, …the leeks and the onions and the garlic." A sixth-century medical treatise from India praises the onion as medicine, as a diuretic, digestive aide, for the heart, the eyes and the joints. Before the ancient Greek Olympic games, it is recorded that athletes consumed pounds of onions, drank onion juice, and even rubbed onions on their bodies. During the Middle Ages in Europe, onions were used as food, medicine, rent payment, and even as wedding gifts.

Though there are many varieties of onions, there are basically two distinctive types: storage onions and spring/summer onions. Red, white and yellow storage onions are in season from August through March. Storage onions are protected and distinguished by layers of thick, somewhat darker skin. When kept in a clean, cool, dry, well-ventilated place, these onions sustain minimal nutrient loss. The flavor of a storage onion is sharp and intense, with a higher percentage of solids. Spring/summer onions have thinner, lighter-colored skin and a higher water and sugar content, so they are more susceptible to spoilage and bruising, and need to be handled with more care than their storable relations. Spring/summer onions are typically sweeter and milder in flavor than storage onions.

Onions' flavor, odor, and tear-inducing qualities come from the vegetables' sulfuric compounds. Bearing that tearful discomfort may well be worth while, since studies continue to reveal the many healthful properties of this old and flavorful food. Studies have demonstrated the in-vitro anticancer and antimicrobial activities of phytochemicals found in onions. Onions also contain an antioxidant flavonoid compound called 'quercetin.' Laboratory studies indicate that onions seem to deliver more absorbable quercetin than the other two big dietary sources—tea and apples. Ongoing studies at the University of Wisconsin suggest that onions offer anti-platelet activity. Researchers in Switzerland showed that rats fed dry onion had more bone mineral density that rats fed a control diet…. The ancients may have lacked the empirical method, but it seems they ate the right food.

Tips and Trivia:

If tearing bothers you, here are two suggestions: Chill an onion in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before you slice into it, and/or, cut the top and peel the onion without cutting the bottom root end until the last possible moment. Apparently the cells that release the sulfuric compounds are concentrated at the base of the onion.

If "onion breath" bothers you or someone near you, there are several remedies. Rinse your mouth with lemon juice and water. Eat some fresh parsley. Chew a citrus peel. Or, cook your onions before you eat them. The "onion breath" odor comes from eating raw onions.

Lemon juice will also remove onion smells from your hands and kitchen implements.

If you want the crispness of a raw onion, with less burn, pour boiling water over raw onion slices, drain and dry.

The average American eats 18.6 pounds of onions a year. Together, we daily consume nearly 350 semi-truck loads. The country of Turkey weighs in with the highest annual consumption, devouring 80.7 pounds per person.

About 1200 farmers plant 150,000 acres of onions annually in the U.S.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest onion was grown in England. It weighed 10 pounds 14 ounces. That's a lot of onion rings!

Onion Tart / Pissaladiere
Makes one 10-inch tart; serves 4

2 tbsp. high quality olive oil
3 1/2 to 4 cups thinly sliced onions (approximately 1 lb.)
A good pinch of fresh or dried thyme leaves
Salt and fresh ground white pepper to taste
1 lb. chilled puff pastry
3 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese, separated
One 2-oz., fresh can of flat anchovy fillets, oil-packed (optional)

To make the onion topping, set a 10-inch nonstick skillet or sauté pan over medium-low heat and add the olive oil and then the onions. Sauté slowly, stirring frequently, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the onions are tender and translucent. Raise the heat to medium high, and stirring almost constantly, let the onions brown nicely and evenly for several minutes more. Season carefully with thyme, salt, and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

For the crust, roll the chilled puff pastry dough into a long rectangle 1/8 inch thick and 10 1/2 inches wide. Using a plate or cake pan as a guide, cut out as many 10-inch disks as possible. Lightly dampen a baking sheet, loosely roll a disk of dough around the rolling pin, and unroll it on the baking sheet. (Store the rest of the disks on a pizza pan between sheets of plastic wrap, slip everything into a plastic bag, along with the leftover dough, and freeze.)

Leaving a 1-inch border all around, prick the pastry disk at 1-inch intervals with a fork, going all the way through to the baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. of the cheese over the pricked disk and spread the onions on top. Strew the remaining 2 tbsp. of the cheese over the onions and, if you like anchovies, arrange them neatly like the spokes of a wheel over the onions and cheese. Crimp the edges of the pastry up over the edge of the filling. (The tart may be prepared in advance up to this point; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or as long as overnight.)

Preheat the oven to 450-degrees F. Bake the tart in the lower third of the oven for 30-40 minutes. It's done when the top has browned lightly and, when you gently lift up a section of the pastry, the bottom is brown and crisp.

To serve warm, transfer the tart to a round platter and cut into wedges. To serve at room temperature or on a picnic, transfer the tart to a rack and let cool completely. When cool, transfer to a platter or napkin-lined pizza pan.

Note: This recipe by Julia Child is somewhat confusing until you realize that with the pound of puff pastry, she is rolling and freezing more than one 10-inch round of dough.

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