By Olivia Fowler

For the Courier

ofowler@thepccourier.com

There’s only one place in the whole world that grows authentic Vidalia onions, and that’s Vidalia, Ga.

They have the perfect soil to produce this sweet, flavorful onion. The only drawback is the onions only come into the market once a year. And now is the time.

So, don’t let the grass grow under your feet. Buy some and use them as much as possible while they’re available. Even people who say they don’t like onions have been known to change their minds when they taste Vidalias.

I hope you’ll like them, too.

 

Vidalia and Tomato Salad

• 1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 6 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. wine vinegar
• 1⁄4 c. basil, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. garlic, chopped
• Pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients together and let marinate 20 minutes at room temperature.

Vidalia Casserole

• 6 large Vidalia onions, peeled and sliced very thinly
• Salt and pepper
• 1⁄2 c. butter
• 30 Ritz crackers (use one sleeve of crackers, coarsely crushed)
• 1 c. grated parmesan cheese

Set oven to 350 degrees. Butter a two-quart casserole dish. In a large saucepan, melt butter.

Add onions to pan, over high heat, sauté until soft, and just starting to brown, about 20-25 minutes.

Remove from heat.

Place half of the onions in the baking dish; cover with half the crackers, and half of the Parmesan.

Repeat to make another layer of onions, crackers and Parmesan.

Bake, uncovered, until cheese on top is lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Serve warm.

Note: if made a day ahead, let cool and keep refrigerated until time to reheat for serving.

 

Baked Stuffed Vidalias

• 4 large Vidalia (or other sweet variety) onions, about 3/4 lb. each
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. white pepper
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. dry white wine
• 1/3 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp. half-and-half or cream
• Panko crumbs
• Paprika

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Trim a thin slice from both ends of each onion, then peel away the papery skin and place the them in a large pot, cover with salted water and cook covered on stovetop on medium for about 10 minutes until just tender but not soft.

Remove from heat, drain off the water and let stand, uncovered, until cool enough to handle.

Begin removing the inner layers of the onion by inserting a fork into the center and twisting. Pull upward gently, remove the core and transfer to a cutting board.

Remove additional layers until you are left with a hollow shell about 3/8-inch thick. This could consist of either one or two of the outer layers, depending on the individual onion.

Roughly chop the inner layers of the onion into 1/2-inch pieces.

Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle the flour evenly over the onions and combine.

Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the flour turns uniformly golden in color, 4 to 5 minutes longer.

Add the white wine and combine thoroughly. Stir in the chicken broth and continue cooking until the mixture is thickened and smooth, about three minutes more. Add the half-and-half, taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Using a teaspoon, fill the onion shells with the creamed mixture, pressing down gently after each spoonful. Top with a sprinkling of panko crumbs and dust with a bit of paprika for color.

Bake uncovered for eight to 10 minutes, or until the crumb topping is golden brown.

 

Pickled Icebox Vidalias

• 4 c. thinly sliced Vidalia onion
• 1 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. mustard seed
• 1 tsp. celery seed
• 2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

Slice onions thin, about 1/4-inch-thick and cover with ice water in a bowl. Let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Drain off water and pack into a clean quart-sized Mason jar.

Beat the remaining ingredients together briskly using a whisk until all the sugar is dissolved. Pour mixture over onion, put lid on jar sealing tightly and put into the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before using. They will keep in refrigerator for about four months.