Serves: 5
As I look back on my childhood, I can’t remember many dishes, other than desserts, in which onions were not used. To say I come from a long line of onion eaters would be a true statement. Grilled hamburgers at a Welch family reunion are a case in point. The sliced onions disappear at a much greater rate than do the pickles, lettuce, and tomatoes.
Our household was a traditional meat and potatoes place when dinner time rolled around. Besides his meat and taters, Dad always had a big chunk of raw onion on the side. It was only after I left home for college that I realized everyone’s dad didn’t eat a half a raw onion for supper every night. Dad never made the Guinness Book of Records for his onion consumption, but now I suspect that is only because they didn’t keep such records back then.
Not only did Dad eat more than his share of onions, he had the reputation in the neighborhood of growing the hottest onions in the county. Even when a seed catalog touted some variety as "very mild", Dad could somehow grow these onions so hot they couldn’t be entered into interstate commerce without a "hazardous materials permit".
My guess is, some day, a guru researcher will identify a gene proving this love affair with onions is an inherited trait. A day which all card carrying members of OLA* look forward to! In some circles, the stigma of onion addiction might be more socially acceptable when it’s proven to have a genetic basis. Anyway, whatever the cause, onions are always on my grub list whether I’m cooking at home or in camp.
The other night I sat reading through my collection of cook books doing research for this book. As I skimmed various recipes something seemed to nag at the edge of my subconscious. Finally, it struck me. Recipe after recipe was
calling for just one clove of garlic! Even if medical science did not extol the benefits of garlic, unless eaten raw, a single clove of garlic will not, and I repeat will not, contribute to garlic over load!
A case in point, a chili recipe which serves ten people calls for only a single clove of garlic. People who are compulsive measurers will most likely go through their entire life only using what garlic a recipe calls for. In my case, I operate under the philosophy of "if a lot does a good job, more does it better." I admit, some ingredients can be over done in fixing different dishes, but you might want to try doubling or trebling the amount called for. You’ll be surprised how the flavor of dishes calling for garlic are enhanced when you increase the amount of garlic, without being over-powering.
These two members of the lily family are essentials when I’m putting together a menu. In a pinch, I’ve even used the tops of wild onions in lieu of chives in camp. A word of caution to "Pilgrims" though, any time you plan to use edible wild plants in camp or at home, invest in an edible plants book first. Another member of the lily family has the common name of "Death Camas"! That is one mistake folks in camp would prefer you avoid!
* OLA is the acronym for ONION LOVERS ANONYMOUS
A Back Country Guide to Outdoor Cooking Spiced with Tall Tales - Vegetables in Camp
This _Garlic & Her Poor Cousin "Onion" recipe is from the Cee Dub's Dutch Oven and Other Camp Cookin' Cookbook. Download this Cookbook today.
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