Fresh Ideas for May 10, 2012
Onions one of BR wonders
One of the little wonders of early spring has to be the beautiful new produce. I spend my winters caught up in local crops of gourds, squashes and citrus only to come out of a (somewhat) cold winter with new culinary experiences waiting on me. Heavy on the peas, baby zucchinis and spicy onions, Louisiana’s spring crops fill my April kitchen.
This past Saturday, I took two friends new to the Baton Rouge area to the Red Stick Farmers Market — at Fifth and Main streets in downtown Baton Rouge — for what I hope will become a weekly grocery ritual. Overstuffed tables bearing Ponchatoula strawberries and blueberries, local muscadine wines, fresh kale, arugula and other leafy greens overwhelmed my newbie friends.
Amidst the beautiful produce, sweet wines and tasty meats sat a lovely bunch of spring red onions by a new organic farmer. Although I rarely eat onions raw, red spring bulb onions with Italian pesto, good quality bread, parmesan and pine nuts were the perfect dinner with a glass of wine after a long Monday.
Simple to make and even easier to eat, this spring-inspired crostini can be served at room temperature or warmed. Although I like the spicy crunch of thinly sliced raw onions, the recipe turns out just as nicely when broiled to bubbly perfection. Hot or cold, young red onions are just one of the wonders of Baton Rouge in the spring.
Helana Brigman is a food writer, photographer and cookbook author. She can be reached with daily recipes at http://clearlydeliciousfoodblog.com or via e-mail at hbrigm1@tigers.lsu.edu.