Walla Wallas Add Sweet Taste To All Types Of Food

Harvest has begun for one of the Northwest’s special treasures. The Walla Walla sweet onion’s all-too-short season continues only through mid-August.

Prized for their low sulfur content, succulence and mild flavor, Walla Walla sweets are best when eaten raw or lightly cooked. They add a refreshing touch to summer salads and sandwiches. Some onion lovers just peel away the papery layers and munch these mild onions apple-style.

Because of their high water content, these early-season onions do not store well. Kept in a cool, well-ventilated place, separated from each other so they don’t touch, Walla Wallas will keep for two to six weeks, at the most. When frozen or dehydrated for longer storage, the special mild flavor is preserved but the crisp and succulent texture is lost.

While these gentle onions are in season, take advantage of their special qualities. Serve them frequently to give summer meals a lift. Top simple grilled hamburgers with a hefty slab of sweet onion. Combine rings with cucumbers and vinaigrette for a quick and refreshing salad. Grill them, roast them or stuff them.

The following recipes offer an array of possibilities. The first, Mustard-Pepper Grilled Steak with Spring Vegetable Salad, is special enough for entertaining and simple enough for an after-work dinner. Just remember to start the meat marinating the evening or morning before you plan to serve it.

Mustard-Pepper Grilled Steak with Spring Vegetable Salad

This recipe courtesy of The Lipton Kitchens.

1/2 cup bottled Italian dressing

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons cracked or coarsely ground black pepper

1 to 1 1/4 pound beef flank steak, cut about 3/4-inch thick

1 sweet onion (Walla Walla, Vidalia or other), sliced about 1/2 -inch thick

16 thick asparagus spears (about 1 pound) trimmed

1 bunch watercress or 4 cups small spinach leaves

In a small dish, combine Italian dressing and mustard. Use your hands to pat the pepper into both sides of the steak. Place steak in a shallow dish and smear with about half of the mustard marinade. (Reserve remaining marinade.) Marinate steak in refrigerator 3 to 24 hours.

Just before cooking, brush onions and asparagus with some of the remaining mustard marinade. (Use any extra marinade to brush over steak again.) Grill steak over medium-hot coals (or broil 3 inches from heat) for 12 to 14 minutes for medium doneness, turning once. Grill asparagus and onions, turning once until just tender, about 5 minutes.

To serve, thinly slice steak across the grain. Arrange steak on a bed of watercress. Separate onion into rings and scatter over steak. Arrange asparagus spears alongside steak.

Yield: 4 servings.

Rosemary Roasted Walla Walla Sweets

Recipe from the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Commission.

4 medium Walla Walla sweet onions, unpeeled

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Coat unpeeled onions generously with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and rosemary. Place in roasting pan just large enough to hold onions. Roast in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut into quarters through root end and arrange on platter, cut side up.

Deglaze pan with vinegar and place over medium heat on stove. Scrape juices off bottom of pan and cook until liquid is syrupy and dark brown. Spoon over cooked onions.

Serve at room temperature. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Summer Vegetable Stir-Fry

Adapted from Susan Bradley’s “Pacific Northwest Palate” (Aris Books). Choose Walla Walla sweets and one other vegetable or an assortment of the freshest seasonal offerings in contrasting colors and textures for this Chinese-inspired dish.

1 1/2 pounds assorted summer vegetables such as Walla Walla sweet onions; broccoli; cauliflower; red, green or yellow bell peppers; zucchini; green beans; wild mushrooms; snow peas; sugar snap peas or carrots

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

Coarse salt

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

1/4 cup walnuts, lightly toasted

Cut selected vegetables into attractive and uniformly sized pieces - julienne, diagonal or large dice, depending upon the selection. Blanch firm vegetables such as cauliflower, green beans, broccoli and carrots in boiling water for 1 minute; drain and dry.

Heat vegetable oil in large heavy saute pan. Add the garlic and ginger; toss for a few seconds. Do not brown. Add the vegetables and toss to coat each piece with oil, about 10 seconds. Sprinkle on a little salt.

Add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar and half the chicken stock. Cover the pan and cook for 2 to 4 minutes, just until the vegetables are crunchy-tender.

Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch and remaining chicken stock.

Uncover the pan; add the sesame oil, then the cornstarch mixture. Tip the pan, collecting the sauce on one side. Whisk to blend and make sure that the sauce boils to activate the cornstarch. Toss the vegetables to coat each one with sauce. Sprinkle the walnuts on top and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings.

Mediterranean Sweet Onion Salad

Recipe from the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Commission.

1 large Walla Walla sweet onion, thinly sliced

8 ounces mixed rotini pasta

8 ounces green beans, trimmed

6-ounce can tuna packed in oil

2 ripe tomatoes, quartered

1/2 cup black Nicoise olives

2 hard boiled eggs, cut into wedges

1 cup Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette (see recipe)

Cook pasta; drain and set aside.

Add beans to saucepan of boiling water. Simmer until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.

In bowl, break tuna into large chunks and set aside. Place tomato wedges in bowl; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside. Arrange pasta, beans, tuna, tomato wedges, hard boiled eggs and olives attractively on platter. Place onion rings on top. Serve with LemonThyme Vinaigrette.

Yield: 4 servings.

Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette

2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon lemon peel, grated

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix together first 6 ingredients; then whisk in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Yield: 1 cup.

MEMO: Have a food question? Looking for a recipe? Laura Carnie, a certified home economist and food consultant in Coeur d’Alene, would like to hear from you. Write to Cook’s Notebook, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210.

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