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One
of the world's oldest cultivated vegetables, the onion was considered
sacred by the ancient Egyptians and has long been regarded as
a symbol of eternity since the layers form spheres within spheres.
This is why the symbolic onion-shaped dome features prominently
in the architecture of Byzantine religious edifices.
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During
the Middle Ages, onions were as valuable as gold and were used
as rent payment and wedding gifts. They were also hung in bunches
at doorways to ward off the plague.
A small white onion, studded with black-headed pins and placed
in a window, will reputedly protect the home from evil. Another
onion legend claims that onionskins and peelings shouldn't be
thrown away as your prosperity with depart with them. Instead,
burn them in your fireplace or cookstove to attract wealth.
Alexander the Great fed onions to his troops to give them strength
for battle and Captain Cook refused to sail until every man
in his crew had eaten 20 pounds of them as a protection against
scurvy. During the American Civil War, General Ulysses S. Grant
sent an urgent message to the War Department saying, "I
will not move my army without onions." The next day, three
trainloads were on their way to the front.
The old folk wisdom testifying to the health benefits of onions,
garlic and other alliums has received ample scientific confirmation.
In addition to being a superb wellspring of magnesium, potassium,
riboflavin (vitamin B2) and vitamins A and C, onions are the
very best source of quercetin, a powerful antioxidant and a
bioflavonoid that is "fast becoming a superstar",
according to Earl Mindell, Ph.D., pharmacist, master herbalist
and professor of nutrition at Pacific Western University in
Los Angeles. Mindell goes on to write in his excellent book,
Earl Mindell's Supplement Bible, "Quercetin is now
believed to be one of the most powerful anticancer substances
discovered to date. According to a recent study published by
the National Cancer Institute and the Beijing Institute for
Cancer Research, people who ate the most quercetin-rich onions
had a 20-fold lower cancer risk than people who did not."
He goes on to claim that quercetin has recently attracted attention
as an effective treatment for allergies and inflammatory disorders.
Mindell ends his chapter on quercetin by stating that "If
you don't eat an onion or two daily, take quercetin supplements."
The antioxidant qualities of quercetin neutralize free radicals
in the body and are thus able to protect cell membranes from
age-related damage. Diabetics value onions for their ability
to equalize blood sugar levels. Heart patients are advised to
eat raw onions because they promote circulation, reduce blood
pressure, clotting and levels of LDL, the bad cholesterol. Other
medicinal actions of the onion include its use as a diuretic,
antibiotic, analgesic, expectorant and antirheumatic.
Cooking onions does not reduce the quercetin content, but studies
indicate that medicinally, raw onions are more effective.
In the garden onions can be propagated from seed or sets. Seed
is cheaper, but sets are faster. Gardeners recommend planting
onions with beets, cabbages, lettuce and strawberries for a
synergistic relationship. However, onions should be kept away
from beans, peas and sage. Reputedly onions repel cabbageworms
and loopers, Colorado potato beetles and carrot flies. Keep
your onions well watered and weed-free.
Harvest onions when the tops start to yellow and topple. Break
all the tops- even those that haven't yet yellowed - and then
wait a few days before pulling them. Allow the onions to ripen
for a few days in partial sun or in a dry, unheated shed. Store
in a cool, dry environment - definitely not in the refrigerator.
The onion's flavor, aroma and tear-inducing characteristics
are from its sulfur compounds. When onions are peeled and sliced,
these compounds are released, producing a mild form of sulfuric
acid in the eyes. Rinsing the onion as soon as it's sliced or
cutting the top and peeling down, trimming off the root end
last can minimize this effect. The sulfur compounds are concentrated
at the base of the onion.
Cooking without onions is like walking down a country lane with
your eyes closed. It can be done, but why deny yourself the
pleasure? To say nothing of all that superb nutrition. Even
the merest hint of onion can enhance the flavor of a meal like
the sound of a cello enriches a string quartet. As Sydney Smith
(1771-1845) wrote in his Recipe for Salad:
"Let onions lurk within the bowl
And, half suspected, animate the whole."
If you're a real onion aficionado, try my favorite sandwich:
raw onion on whole wheat with liberal slabs of blue cheese,
preferably Stilton. This washed down with a pint of hearty ale
makes an unbeatable winter lunch - as long as you don't have
any social engagements for about three days.
In Italy baked onions are served as a freestanding vegetable.
The following recipe is inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean:
olive oil, anchovies and the sweet and sour taste of currants
or raisins, wine, vinegar and capers. For those poor souls who
suffer from anchovy-phobia, you may substitute crisp bacon,
pancetta or finely diced ham or prosciutto.
MEDITERRANEAN BAKED ONIONS
· 6 small-medium yellow onions
· 1 small can anchovy fillets, drained
· 3 Tbsp. butter
· ½ cup of fine, dry bread crumbs
· ¼ cup of currants or raisins
· 4 springs of fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
· 3 Tbsp. medium-dry sherry
· 1 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
· 1 Tbsp. small capers
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Slice half inch from the tops and root ends of the onions and
remove the remaining skin (remember to throw these in your fire!).
Place the onions in a pot with about one inch of water, bring
to the boil and then simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Rinse
under cold water and remove the centers, leaving several layers
to contain the filling. Reserve the centers.
Finely chop the anchovies and half of the reserved onion centers
(keep the balance for another use) and place them in a bowl
with the currants or raisins and add salt and pepper to taste.
Put the butter into a pan and turn the heat to medium-high.
Add the breadcrumbs and sauté until they are golden brown.
Add them to the anchovies and currants and mix in the sherry
and vinegar. Stuff the onions with this mixture, place in a
covered dish and bake at 375F for 40 minutes. If desired, you
can dribble a little extra sherry over the onions. Then remove
the lid and bake for a further 20 minutes. Sprinkle the capers
over the onions just before serving hot.
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