I am not a gardener who grows veggies based on their cost at the supermarket. That means I plant what I like and don’t base each harvested plant on its monetary value as determined at the supermarket. I rate the value of food on two things: freshness and flavor. If I can harvest herbs such as dill, sage, parsley, or chervil straight out of my garden directly into my sauté or sauce pan, it is worth its weight in gold. Fresh radishes are never rubbery or pithy; a vine ripened, freshly picked tomato is, well, simply indescribable when it comes to flavor!
I don’t place a high value on produce from our local super-markets around town though I do scour the markets for the freshest products. These veggies and fruits are hauled long distances from far away places most of the time and even if carried on refrigerated trucks, how fast does it get onto your table? After reading an article from Reader’s Digest titled “Produce is a lot older than you think”, I headed back into my garden, dropped more zuke and cuke seeds, and then waited in wonder.
If you see watermelons in June offered at truck stands, they are not grown here or anywhere very close. The vendor may be a long distance driver who transports fruits and vegetables from the south, west coast and Mexico. That’s how all those goodies reach every part of the USA; we wouldn’t have these available without this transportation. As a consumer, you have a right to know where your purchased food is being grown. So ask and decide for yourself. Seek out our local farmers if local is your objective. The weekly farmers’ markets are the easiest way to locate people who grow veggies, flowers, and herbs in season.
Apples on the produce shelves/stands right now are about 8-10 months old. Apples are harvested in the fall after they ripen in September-October. Apples store well so buying them out of season keeps us all in apples year round. Blueberries are successfully grown locally in our WV hills. Seek out local farmers who offer “pick your own” berries and you will be amazed at the quality and taste when you come home laden with a bucket or two of freshly picked blueberries! Appreciation grows when you pick or grow your own! And they freeze well for winter use!
Green beans and lettuce are cheap to buy. But the old saying, “you get what you pay for” really applies to produce that may be weeks old. You know that once you take something out of the soil, it starts to degrade or shall we say, rot! Both beans and salad greens are the easiest veggies to grow and can keep you stocked all summer long and even into the fall months. You can grow these along with many other veggies right on your patio in large pots if you lack garden space. Canning or pickling will extend your personal dining season of many vegetables and is a fun family project!
Onions are especially inexpensive because they grow readily in bunches and store well. These can be bought year round. White onions are usually more money to buy than yellow onions simply because more yellow onions are planted. Yellow onions have more antioxidants.
Whether you grow your onions from seed or from transplants, success is almost 100% guaranteed. Prepare your garden soil with rich compost and add your onion sets or seeds. Mulch them to keep out the weeds and keep the soil moist and loose for the roots to take up nutrients. Water them if you have a long dry spell. Most onions take about 3 months to reach maturity. We wait for ours to flop over and then we gently tug them from the soil and hang up in bunches to air dry in an outdoors covered roof. You can also leave them in the soil and use as needed, fresh from picking. Pick most of them before they produce seed or before the leaves turn brown or before the frost comes. Leave a few in the ground to flower and then collect and save some of your own seeds for replanting.
Cure onions for about 3 weeks and then store them in a cool, dry root cellar or kitchen pantry. Layer them rather than stacking them on each other. This way if one rots, it won’t spoil the rest of the bunch. Check often for rot or mold. I save my mesh bags from the grocery store and hang up stored onions for quick use in the kitchen.
Onions are so versatile and many countries, not just ours, use onions in almost every dish. Burgers, salads, sauces, casseroles, pickles- all taste better with onions. Some folks soak their sliced onions in milk or water for 10 minutes to leach out the “bite” of a hot onion but I just grin and bear it. The tears produced while cutting it up just remind me that this onion is fresh! Here’s our newest favorite onion recipe:
Onion Tarte Tatin
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-Use a cast iron skillet and add 2 pats of butter to the skillet pan, heat slowly, and add peeled, sliced onions.
-Cook the onions till they caramelize, soften and turn light brown all over.
-Turn off heat and add 2 tablespoons of honey and 3 tablespoons of high quality balsamic vinegar
~Add a pinch of salt, pinch of fresh thyme and mix it lightly and keep it in the skillet.
-Defrost puff pastry sheet(s) ahead of time (store bought), and spread a sheet over the onion mixture. Press down and crimp the edges
-Poke some holes on the top to allow steam to escape and place the skillet in the oven to cook for 30-35 minutes. The pastry should be puffed and golden.
-Cool for 10 minutes or so until you can safely handle the skillet with an oven mit.
– Place a plate over the skillet and flip it upside down. Voila, your baked onion pie comes out on the plate and is ready to serve. A masterpiece! With salad as a side, lunch is served.
Karen Cohen is a home grower of organic vegetables and herbs, a photojournalist who adores art of all kinds, and is an avid explorer. Email your onion recipes to natureswaykaren@gmail.com. Happy Growing!