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6C
► WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2006
Extra sweet onions available for a short time
Special to the HHJ
There are Vidalias and
there are Vidalias. This year
saw the debut of Certified
Extra Sweet Vidal Onions,
which will be available for a
limited time.
Certified Extra Sweet
Vidalia Onions’ unique flavor
is attributed to the low flavor
intensity and high sweetness
levels which can be attained
only through very careful
cultivation within a specific
sweet onion-growing region
of the country. Certified
Extra Sweet Vidalia Onions
have been extensively tested
by National Onion Labs and
offer the consumer a consis
tent flavor experience and
extreme consumer satisfac
tion.
“Vidalia Onions are among
the sweetest onions grown in
the world and they can only
be grown in a specific region
of south central Georgia - you
won’t find them anywhere
else. Of these, only a per
centage are able to achieve
certified extra sweet status
and these alone are designat
ed by National Onion Labs
as Certified Extra Sweet I “,”
said David Burrell, president
of National Onion Labs.
With their extra sweet
taste, Certified Extra Sweet
Vidalia Onions are an ideal
choice for spring salads,
sandwiches and other lightly
cooked dishes - and can be
incorporated as a side dish to
any main course. Whether
you’re an onion aficionado
or novice in the category,
you’ll be more than satis
fied with the quality and
taste of adding Certified
Extra Sweet Vidalia Onions
to your spring menu, such as
Sweet Vidalia Quesadillas,
Vidalia Onion Panzanella,
and Roasted Sweet Onions
with Blue Cheese. Enjoy
them while you can in sal
ads, soups, main dishes, and
as perfect barbeque condi
ments. The only accompa
niments these onions need
are some fresh bread with
Memories count more than recipes
'
WMJ f
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I. I■i. H ■■■ , * - I »ni.ttiO
By Frances Ruffin
HHJ Guest Writer
Editor’s note: We asked a
week or two ago if readers
would share their memories
of favorite meals or cooking
experiences. Frances Ruffin
sent us her reflections on the
importance of family tradi
tions and memories.
It’s not the recipes that
are important, I discovered
many years ago. It’s the blend
ing of family and the serving
of traditions that make a good
meal! Let me go back to the
beginning. When my mother
died unexpectedly a long time
ago and at a too early age,
my sister and I realized that
although we had participated
in the kitchen activity all of
our lives, we did not have
any recipes of my Mother’s
to follow. So I set out to
remedy this situation,if not
for myself then for my four
daughters who would in fact
carry on the Italian cooking.
I went to a bookstore and
purchased an Italian cookbook
that seemed to have many of
the dishes that I had grown
up eating - chicken cacciatore,
ravioli with meat sauce, veal
and yellow rice and so on.
I followed the cookbook the
fir§t time around, but found
the results tasty but not in the
way my mother’s had been.
Thinking it might be a sea
soning problem, I went back
to the bookstore and pur
chased a book on herbs and
spices. Then I began to alter
the recipe-not in the prepara
tion, but in the seasonings.
Soon I had some dishes that
tasted “almost” as good as
my mother’s had. I shared
my new family recipes with
my sister who agreed that
the dishes at least resembled
j i~i iZT' ' * * VSL* r* v *
i
Courtesy of Vidalia Onion Committee
Sweet Vidalias and salty smoked salmon make a memorable dip
a little mayo and you’ll be
provided with a sweet onion
sandwich and a wonderful
taste sensation that will
leave you eagerly awaiting a
repeat performance.
Certified Extra Sweet
Vidalia Onions not only
provide flavor - they also
provide health-promoting
phytochemicals as well as
nutrients. Research shows
that onions may help guard
against many chronic diseas
es. That’s because onions
contain generous amounts of
a flavonoid called quercetin.
Studies have showed that
quercetin protects against
cataracts, cardiovascular
disease and cancer.
In addition, onions con
tain a variety of naturally
occurring chemicals known
as organosulfur compounds
that have been linked to low
ering blood pressure and cho
lesterol levels. With only 30
calories per serving, Vidalia
onions are sodium, fat and
cholesterol free. They pro
vide dietary fiber, Vitamin C,
Vitamin 86, potassium and
the ones we were used to.
One of the dishes that I
thought I had mastered was
ravioli so this became a family
Christmas tradition - not so
much the eating of it, but the
Christmas Eve preparation of
this very complicated dish.
The preparation requires
more hands than I had so I
enlisted the help of my family.
My husband quickly accepted
the job of mixing and rolling
out the dough-a very difficult
and tedious task since the
dough has to be soft, but thin.
One of my daughters mixed
the spinach and cheese filling
for the ravioli, while anoth
er prepared the table with a
lightly floured clean cloth for
the drying of the ravioli.
As the ravioli is filled, it
must be cut and the edges
crimped. There are modern
machines that do this, but
my other daughters did it by
hand the way I had when
I was their age. A knife for
the cutting and a fork for the
crimpling were all that was
needed.
Let Your Own Light Shine
*
(• Ww z tohtin<i -J
S\
926 Cuitoll i>t • Perry. GA 31069
1 478-224-8888
T-F 9am-sptn SAT 10am-2pm
other key nutrients.
Sweet Vidalia Onion
Panzanella
A panzanella is a salad
with toasted bread as a main
ingredient.
1 Vidalia onion, peeled
and sliced into l/-inch
rings
6 yellow or red Roma
tomatoes, diced
8 canned artichoke
hearts; quartered
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 baguette, torn in
1-inch pieces, lightly
toasted (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped
fresh chervil (1 table
spoon dried)
1 tablespoon whole
tarragon leaves
1 tablespoon chives,
snipped into Va-inch
lengths
Salt, pepper and sugar
to taste
Vinagrette (recipe follows)
Oh yes, I have a son and so
you ask, “What was his part
in this preparation?”
Well, he was the taster.
When the first ravioli sank
to the bottom of the pan of
boiling water (a sign that it
is done), I gently took one
out, covered it with meat
sauce and gave it to him
for his stamp of approval!
Many years have passed
since our family ravioli mak
ing days. We still have ravi
oli on Christmas day, but
we don’t have the pleasure
of making it all together on
Christmas Eve. My children
are home with their families
on this day, eagerly awaiting
and preparing for the big day
the 25th of December.
So my husband and I
make the ravioli doing all
the tasks that our children
did when they were still
living with us. It’s not the
same - not as much fun, but
the ravioli is still delicious.
The recipe is available, but
the memories are mine to
have and to cherish!!
FOOD
Vinagrette
2 tablespoons sherry
vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mus
tard
Vs teaspoon salt
Vs cup extra virgin
olive oil
Freshly ground black
pepper to taste
To prepare vinagrette
In a small bowl, whisk
together vinegar, honey,
mustard, salt and pepper.
Makes 2/3 cup.
Thoroughly rub inside of
large wooden salad bowl with
garlic clove. Discard gar
lic. Add toasted bread. Top
bread with tomatoes. Season
with salt, pepper and a pinch
of sugar. Add artichokes and
onion. Add chervil, tarragon
and chives; toss lightly.
Add vinagrette and let sit
at least 15 minutes before
serving, tossing occasionally.
Soure: Vidalia Onion
Committee.
Experience warm Southern
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, Open Tuesday-Saturday
10:00 am-5:00 pm
for lunch, specialty desserts
and afternoon tea
... lomted In
QfZoMxym QFomtMim
922 Carroll Street • Perry, Georgia 31069
478-987-1866
www.frontPorchtea.com
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AyaHablt in Whitt
Vdalia Salmon Dip
6 ounces pre-sliced
smoked salmon
1 small Certified Extra
Sweet Vidalia onion,
peeled
Vs bunch fresh dill,
chopped
3 tablespoons whole
grain mustard
2 cups regular or fat
free sour cream
2 drops Worcestershire
sauce
A squeeze of lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut the salmon and onion
in 1-inch long, very thin,
strips. Next, mix the salmon,
dill, mustard, onions and all
the seasonings into the sour
cream. Stir for about 3 min
utes. Use food processor on
the slowest speed. Salt and
pepper to taste. If the dip is
too salty then add more sour
cream
Bakhi Extra Swet
Vidalia Onions
4 medium to large
Certified Extra
SweetVidalia Onions
Butter or margarine
Pepper
4 beef bouillon cubes
1 Cup of white wine
(optional)
Skin and core onion tak
ing care not to cut through
bottom of onion. Place whole
trimmed onion in a casserole
dish. Place a small amount
of butter in the hole to a
depth of half way. Place a
whole bouillon cube in hole.
Top with a pat of butter.
Pour V< cup of wine over
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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
each. Sprinkle with pepper.
Cover and bake 30-45 min
utes in a 350 degree oven
or cook in microwave until
tender.
Serve onion and drizzle
with pan drippings
Source: National Onion
Labs, Inc.
Vdalia Onon Salad
4 Certified Extra
Sweet Vidalia Onions,
peeled, thinly sliced
1 bowl of salad greens
of your choice
3/4 c white vinegar
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1 t salt
1 t parsley, chopped
1/8 tsp basil
Vs c water
a A c sugar
Dash of red pepper
Preparation
In a large pan, combine
all ingredients except onions
and heat
until sugar has melted and
mixture is smooth.
Place Certified Extra
Sweet Vidalia Onions into
pan and stir over medium
heat for 4 minutes or until
onions have softened. Serve
over salad greens.
Certified Extra Sweet ™
is a registered trademark of
National Onion Labs, Inc.
Vidalia® is a registered
Vidalia® is a registered
trademark of the Georgia
Department of Agriculture.
Certified Sweet™ and
Certified Extra Sweet™
are trademarks of National
Onion Labs, Inc.
♦ETJ*
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