First sweet onions of the season

[DaveLister]

Found in the market this morning. I tend to use them in salads, or as a pizza topping ( I leave the making of the confite to the experts).

They also make a superb cheese and onion sarnie.

Anyone got any other recipes for this delicious vegetable.

[Lori]

They are great in home made tabouli.  Also as you say in salads.  We make a cucumber, tomato, mint, sweet onion salad frequently.

I like them in vegetable casseroles also.  And in omelettes.

We will also use them when making freshly pressed hamburger patties for the grill.  We add mint to those too, and often freshly grown parsley.

 

[DaveLister]

I'm stealing the tomato, cucumber, mint, and sweet onion combination 😋

[Lori]

We also like a potato salad that is:

cooked, sliced potatoes (I leave the skins on and you can cook them any way you like, including in the microwave)

Slice and layer potatoes in a glass dish

Add diced sweet onions, kalamata olives, chopped fresh mint (or parsley or both - whatever you have on hand), drizzle with a good olive oil, season to taste.  I like to add some granulated garlic.  You can also diced fresh garlic over it if you are a garlic fan.

Excellent warm or at room temp.

[DaveLister]

I cure my own olives kalamata style and use them in everything. I'll look forward to trying your potato salad.😋

[Loiseau]

How would I recognise a sweet onion, svp? Those recipes sound so good!

[DaveLister]

In the markets you'll normally see them still attached to their leaves and covered in mud. You can get them in supermarkets, mostly imported from Chili ( with a sharper flavour ) but yesterday I saw some from Spain in my local Carrefour. They're recognisable by their thinner outer skin. Lidl have a contract with a producer in the Cevennes ( where the best onions come from IMO ) and normally sell them in three's occasionally with a mini jar of Confite D'oignon.

Just look for Oignon Doux.

[menthe]

I agree, DL, Cevennes are the best tasting onions I have ever eaten.  I didn't know about Lidl but I will look out for them.

I go to one of those fancy specialist shops where everything including sweet onions makes your eyes water with the price.  But they are HUGE and white and beautiful and so sweet I feel I could bite into them as I would an apple!

Last year, when we had visiters, I had a fit of generosity and made her a present of an onion.  Explained what it was and why it was special.  Barely a thank you and never heard whether it lived up to her expectations.

So DL, don't make a present of them to anyone other than connaisseurs (like me, of course!)

[Loiseau]

Oh dear, wish I had looked for them last week when I was actually in France…. I am not sure we have such things here in London, though perhaps if I try some super-duper food hall I might find some.

[DaveLister]

The season has only just started so I doubt you would have found any last week. If you're back before November take a look in the supermarkets and, as I say, Lidl.

[Harnser]

No mention on this onion sub-forum of the  Oignon de Roscoff? They are pink, sweet, crunchy, slightly peppery and tasty in salads or cooking.

https://www.brittanytourism.com/offers/maison-des-johnnies-et-de-loignon-de-roscoff-roscoff-en-2015874/

The origin of the english stereotype of the frenchman,  blue and white striped jersey, beret, with plaits of onions strung on his bike is Breton not really French.

[Lori]

I only recently discovered the Roscoff onion.  FANTASTIC !!!!!!!!!!!

[menthe]

Yes, I like the Roscoff onions too but not as much as the Cevennes ones.

I love the pink colour of Roscoff onions but, unfortunately, the colour goes once they are cooked.

The one onion I NEVER buy, not even for stews are les oignons jaune....they are nasty and tough😕

[DaveLister]

So, Lori & Menthe, since you've tried both which would you say was the sweetest.

[menthe]

Undoubtedly, I'd go for the Cevennes and then, if unavailable, the Roscoff.  They are, as you have said, seasonal.

I have had some sweet onions from Chile, as you have mentioned, also from Mexico.  I don't, as a rule, buy fresh produce from thousands of miles away.  So, I'd buy red onions when push comes to shove.

Spanish onions, as a rule, are milder tasting than many others.  Also the very white, large onions from Italy but I can only get those from le Grand Frais.

Can we now also talk about the best garlic?  I buy the violet ones if I can find them but I have never tried the black or smoked looking ones.

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[DaveLister]

1 minute ago, menthe said:

Can we now also talk about the best garlic?  I buy the violet ones if I can find them but I have never tried the black or smoked looking ones.

I too use the violet and have never heard of black garlic. I feel a google search coming along 😀

Thank you for the onion review. I'll be looking out for Roscoff's once the Cevennes season has finished.

[Loiseau]

I was given a bunch of the smoked garlic once. The bunch had a delicious smoky smell, but I don’t think it affected the taste, as far as I recall.

[Lori]

I always buy the Violet garlic.  We like it very much.

I don't really think of Roscoff onions as sweet.  To me, they are in the middle of tart and sweet, really nice, but not cheap.

Funny Menthe, I don't really mind yellow onions in stews and such.

Love red onions on nearly anything.

Love Cebettes also.

 

[menthe]

Lori, do you mean spring onions?  I really love those.  To keep them from wilting, I put them in a bowl of water in the fridge and they last well for several days.

Chopped finely, I like to throw them in mashed potatoes when the latter is still hot.  Just yum.....

[Lori]

We call the Cebette a green onion in the U.S.  I think they are called Spring Onions too.  Here they are:

 

[DaveLister]

Apparently black ( as opposed to smoked ) garlic is garlic that has been aged in a warm and wet environment that reduces the pungency and makes it almost sweet. As well as being used as an ingredient the softened cloves can be spread on bread like jam.

[menthe]

37 minutes ago, Lori said:

We call the Cebette a green onion in the U.S.  I think they are called Spring Onions too.  Here they are:

 

What a lovely bunch of spring onions, Lori😄  I think both the French, Welsh and Italians have a name for them that sounds like cebette.

I think here in the Dordogne, they are often called oignons à boîte.

[Jamessmith0901]

One recipe you could also try with sweet onions is caramelized onion and goat cheese tart. Sauté sliced onions in a bit of butter until they are softened and caramelized, then spread them on a pre-baked tart shell with crumbled goat cheese and a bit of fresh thyme. Bake until the cheese is melted and the edges of the tart are golden brown. Another option is to grill sweet onions and top with a balsamic glaze for a delicious side dish or burger toppings, this one is my all time favorite!

[menthe]

Two delicious-sounding recipes, Jamessmith.  We are not keen on goat's cheese so will try with a soft cheese like Reblochon or Brie or Camembert.

Now the weather is cooler, I will make some pastry and make that tart to take to a friend's for l'apéro on Friday.

Thanks for your post.

[Jamessmith0901]

You're most welcome!  I'm glad you found the recipes tempting. Yes, Reblochon, Brie, or Camembert are great substitutes for goat's cheese. 

A homemade tart is perfect for a cozy gathering with friends, especially during cooler weather. I'm sure your friend will appreciate the effort you put into making it.  Have a wonderful Friday!