Even though it heralds the beginning of summer’s often brutally hot, humid weather, June also brings us many joys as local gardens and farmer’s fields come into full maturity with the voluptuous produce of summer. Whether it’s right out of the backyard or from a neighborhood farmer’s market, produce is fresher and more varied now than at any other time of the year.
Much of the bounty is fleeting, and ironically can only be had when summer is in full blaze and the last thing on our minds is creating more heat in the kitchen. But the good news is that the flavors are fuller, deeper, and richer, and require very little in the way of cooking to coax them out.
One such delicacy for us Georgians right now is Vidalia sweet onions. Grown only in a proscribed area of sandy, low-sulfur soil surrounding the Georgia town that gives them their name, these onions are one of the few American farm products protected by law in the same way that fine European cheeses and wines are.
They’re seasonal until early September, but are at their peak in flavor right now.
Perfect for salads and sandwiches (and not just burgers, either—try a wafer thin slice on your next BLT), these mild, delicately sweet onions are also delicious cooked.
By now you should all know how lovely they are simply baked with a pat of butter on top, but another great way to cook them is to thinly slice and sweat them with a little butter in a covered pan until they’re falling-apart tender, then uncover and caramelize them, adding a splash of dry vermouth and salt and pepper to taste at the very end. It makes a simple yet terrific sauce for pasta or grilled meat, fish, or poultry, and is also delicious over quick cooked haricots verts or sautéed squash.
Still another way to cook Vidalias is to stuff them. Almost anything is good—from a simple blend of crumbs, herbs, and spices to rich fillings of crumbled and browned sausage neat, chopped leftover meat or poultry, pecans, even seafood. Here’s one of my own favorites, filled with a savory blend of country ham and sage.
Baked Vidalia Sweet Onions with Ham
Serves 4
4 medium Vidalia Sweet Onions
1 cup soft breadcrumbs
4 ounces country ham or other dry-cured ham, trimmed of fat and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh, or 1 teaspoon crumbled, dried sage
Whole black pepper in a mill
Salt if needed
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
¼ cup fine dry bread or cracker crumbs
½-to-1 cup chicken broth, preferably homemade
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400° F. Cut out the top of each onion in a wide, inverted cone and trim the root end so that they sit flat. Peel and put them root down in a close-fitting, lidded casserole. Cover and bake in the center of the oven until softened but still a little underdone at the center, about 30 minutes.
2. Let them cool slightly, and using a melon baller, scoop out the centers, leaving about ¼-inch of the outer layers attached to the root end. Roughly chop the inner pulp and toss it in a bowl with the soft crumbs, ham, sage, and a liberal grinding of pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding a little salt if needed (most of the time the ham is salty enough on its own). Divide the filling among the onion shells, mounding it up on top.
3. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium low heat. Turn off the heat, add the dry crumbs, and toss until the butter is evenly absorbed. Sprinkle them over each onion and pat them in place. Pour just enough broth around the onions to come halfway up their sides. Bake, uncovered, until the onions are tender, the filling is hot through, and the crumb topping is golden brown, about 30 to 45 minutes longer. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe © 2002 by Damon Lee Fowler, from Damon Lee Fowler’s New Southern Kitchen (Simon & Schuster, 2002)