I come from a family of chiropractors. My parents opened their first chiropractic clinic in Mason County in 1990. That summer, we hit up every fair, court day, festival, regatta, or seasonal event held in Mason and the six surrounding counties.
Mom and Dad had a booth set up doing spinal screenings at a different event each week. My brother David and I were always expected to participate and do our part in the family business.
From a young age, we knew how to help pack up the car with all of the equipment, what things to say and not say to people at the events, and that there were a lot of people out there who needed help with their health.
We could also tell you what food booths were worth going back to as well as who to avoid. By the second day of each event, we knew our way around the nooks and crannies of the storage space, booth space and stage area. Most importantly we could point you in the direction of the good bathrooms versus the ones to avoid at all cost.
It wasn’t all work for the booth though. Mom had David and I participating in any events available to kids. Our favorite was hands down the lip sync competition. David’s favorite song was La Bamba where I usually went with Gloria Gaynor or Cher.
Nan-Nan, our grandmother, would help us coordinate our costumes with our songs and any show stopping sparkle or props she deemed necessary. The lip sync competitions were everything.
Our second favorite part of the fairs was easily the clogging. Neither one of us could clog, but we sure did love to watch it. It was magical how coordinated and unified those country music loving dancers could kick their legs and shake their toes.
When we weren’t moving and shaking across the river valley that summer, our family loved light fresh food at my grandmother’s table. One of the perks of living so close to Nan-Nan was how much time she was able to spend with us kids. It was the simple details that made the difference with how she lived and how she cooked.
My favorite meal that summer quickly became Nan-Nan’s sweet pickled onions on a potato chip. I must have eaten my body weight in those little bites. Onion anything was an odd preference for any child, but I couldn’t get enough of them. It was one of my first “great culinary discoveries” as a kid. I still can’t get enough of crunchy treats.
This week I had three days in a row of people asking me for pickled onion recipes. Those crunchy flavorful delights are definitely adored by all. It’s funny the things we all start to crave as the weather heats up.
Today I have included a few of my favorite simple onion add-ons. The sumac onions are the favorite addition to my kitchen this year. They add a surprising sweetness and punch to a dish, especially salads with grilled chicken and veggies.
If you don’t have much time for home cooking, give one of today’s recipes a try. My grandmother always kept a bag of thinly sliced onion ready in her freezer so she could whip out an oniony bite at any moment.
Good luck and enjoy!
Ideas for Onions:
● Throw into scrambled eggs or an omelet.
● Stuff them in a sandwich, taco or wrap.
● Pile them on a baked potato.
● Toss them onto a salad.
● Add to toast.
● Build up that protein with a finishing touch. Seafood pairs wonderfully, as does poultry, steak or even simple deli meats.
● Pizza is delicious with a little onion topper.
Sweet Onion’s Nan-Nan Style
3-4 medium sweet vidalia onions, sliced finely keeping circular shape
1 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups water
dash of salt
Mix sugar with all ingredients except onions. Add onions. Cover and chill before serving. Make sure onions are completely submerged in the mixture. Add a little more water and a small pour of vinegar if necessary.
Pickled Red Onions
2 large red onions
2 ½ cups apple cider vinegar
2 ½ cups water
½ cup white sugar
3 Tbsp salt
Optional:
8 black peppercorns
2 small bay leaves
3 sprigs of thyme
3 garlic cloves
Thinly slice onions. In a large bowl mix all ingredients. Add onions. Cover and chill before serving. Onions should be completely covered in liquid. If they aren’t, add a little more water and or vinegar.
Balsamic & Thyme Onion Sauce
Melt 2 Tbsp butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup thinly sliced red onions or pearl onion (whole or sliced), 2 Tbsp brown sugar and ½ tsp salt. Saute for four minutes.
Stir in 1 cup cranberry juice and three tbsp balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil. Cook for seven minutes or until the onion is tender, stirring frequently and adding additional juice if necessary for the desired consistency. Stir in 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme and serve. Delicious over meat and veggies. Broth may also be used for a heartier sauce, instead of juice.
Sauteed Onions
3 medium yellow onions
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
Peel and slice the onions. See detailed instructions in the How to Cut an Onion section above.
Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick pan set over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until shiny and sizzling.
Add the sliced onions to the pan, then sprinkle the salt over the top. Mix to combine.
Continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Once the onions are soft, golden-brown, and slightly tender, remove them from the pan.
Taste for doneness, adding more salt or some ground black pepper to taste.
Sumac Onions
½ onion, cut in half, then each half thinly sliced
2 tsp sumac
1 Tbsp Olive oil
½ tsp salt
Place in a bowl. Mix and set aside. Eat immediately or cover and refrigerate.
The recipe and photos used in today’s article are from the kitchen of Chef Babz (babzbitesa@gmail.com).
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