Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Eating the Weeds - Onions

Back in the ‘burbs, we seemed to have every type of edible weed in our yard; Dandelions and Chickory, Mallow and Purselane, Plantain and Shepard’s Purse. But being close to a busy street and having neighbors that doused their lawns in pesticides and herbicides, I never really felt comfortable eating them.  Of course, now that we’re out in the country, my lawn is anemic in the Dandelion department and totally deficient in any Chickory, Mallow or Purselane.  But there is one weed we have here that our suburban yard was missing:
Onions!
I was tickled pink to find that our front yard contained wild onions.  So not only do I get to walk out my front door and dig out a handful of miniature onions, but as an added bonus, it smells like a salad bar when we mow the lawn!
And to think that people spend money on chemicals to eliminate those little bulbs of flavor growing in their lawn, then turn around and pay for their cousins in the supermarket.
What dish couldn’t use an onion or two thrown in?  I use the onion bulb cut up and the green tops chopped like chives.  I put them in just about any dish that calls for an onion (except for those specifically calling for sweet onions) and will readily toss them in a dish that didn’t explicitly call for one.  With the exception of things like Jello or ice cream, what recipe couldn’t use a bit of onion flavoring?
I have to admit that I may go a bit overboard at times; onions in the scrambled eggs and the fried potatoes for breakfast.....

In the egg salad sandwich for lunch (eaten on onion & dill bread, of course).  Then for supper it’s tossed into the salad, garnishes the soup, mixed into the rice pilaf and rubbed into the baked chicken.
Anybody got a mint?

2 comments:

  1. Awesome! We have a whole plot that comes up every year like clockwork too! Love'em! Maybe not in Jello tho!

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  2. I've got LOTS of mints - growing wild all over my place! It is a virtual smorgasbord out there, isn't it? Lucky you with wild onion. I know a place that is covered with ramps in the spring and that's as close to onions as I can get.

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