Seasonal Pantry: Green onions offer gentle flavor

Ahhh, green onions, or scallions, as they are also called. They are so rarely appreciated for themselves, but they are so delicious. They are also inexpensive, easy to grow, simple to prepare and good for you.

A cup of sliced green onions has just 32 calories but over 30 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C and nearly that much of folic acid, along with vitamin A, iron and 2 grams of protein.

Green onions are available year round, with the season peaking somewhat in early summer. For their size, green onions pack an enormous amount of flavor that is more gentle than other alliums. There is no substitute for green onions, though they can be used in place of chives if need be.

One way to enjoy them is to simply finish a dish with some that have been thinly sliced. Scrambled eggs, omelets, steamed rice, grilled meats and salads all benefit from such an addition. If you add green onions to, say, a stir-fry or fried rice, the dish will take on a Chinese flair, as they are ubiquitous in Chinese cooking, or at least in Chinese-American cooking.

Another way to enjoy them is grilled, either on an outdoor or stovetop grill. All they need is to be tossed with just enough olive oil to coat them and then turned a time or two while on the grill. Many Mexican restaurants and taquerias serve them this way. For a simple snack, wrap them, after grilling, in a warm corn tortilla, add a bit of salsa and there you have it.

If you are the industrious type, you can save the root ends after trimming them, plant them in a pot of soil and re-grow them in a window sill. It’s a perfect project for kids.

Green onion pancakes are one of the most popular dishes in Asian restaurants but they are very easy to make at home, too. To make them gluten-free, use all rice flour.

Green Onion Pancakes

Makes 8 pancakes

2 1/2 cups all-purpose white flour, rice flour or a mixture of the two

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 cup warm water

- Toasted sesame oil

1 bunch (6 or 7) green onions, trimmed and cut into very thin slices

- Black pepper in a mill

- Coconut oil or other oil for frying

Put the flour or flours into a medium mixing bowl, add the teaspoon of salt and the warm water and combine thoroughly with a whisk or large wooden spoon. Keep mixing until the dough is quite smooth.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for several minutes, as it becomes very smooth and elastic.

Wipe the inside of the bowl clean so that it is smooth, add a few drops of sesame oil and return the dough to the bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside for 30 minutes.

If you have not already done so, prepare the green onions and season them with a few pinches of salt and several turns of black pepper.

Set a large (10-inch) well-seasoned skillet on top of the stove.

Cut the dough into four pieces.

Set one piece of dough on a lightly floured work surface and use a rolling pin to roll it into a rectangle about 12-inches by 9-inches or a bit bigger. Sprinkle some of the green onions over the surface of the dough, season with a little and pepper and roll it, from the long end, into a thin snake.

Cut the snake of dough in half and coil each piece around itself, forming both pieces into circles. Repeat with the remaining dough.

When all the dough has been rolled and coiled, set a few pieces of paper toweling next to the stove.

Put a little coconut oil or other oil in the skillet and set over medium heat. While the oil heats, use the palm of your hand to flatten each coil of dough until it is about 1/4-inch thick.

When the oil is hot but not smoking - it will shimmer a bit - add a round of dough and cook for 2 minutes.

Use a thin metal spatula to turn over the pancake, cook for 2 minutes more and then transfer to a paper towel.

Continue, adding more oil as necessary, until all the pancakes have been made. Cut into wedges and enjoy right away, with or without one of the dipping sauces suggested below.

Dipping sauce suggestions:

Combine 1/3 cup soy sauce with the juice of 1 lime, 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Combine 4 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Combine 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon sugar, simple syrup or honey, 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Add 1 green onion, very thinly sliced, and about a tablespoon of chopped cilantro.

This is often my midday meal. It is delicious, healthy and not so filling that I start longing for a nap after eating. It is also a lovely side dish, especially with tacos, quesadillas and such.

Avocado & ?Green Onion Salad

Serves 1 or 2, easily doubled

1 firm-ripe avocado, cubed (see Note below)

2 lemon or lime wedges

2 teaspoons olive oil, optional

- Kosher salt

1 green onion, trimmed and cut into thin diagonal slices

- Several cilantro leaves, chopped

- Black pepper in a mill

Put the avocado into a wide shallow bowl and squeeze the lemon or lime over it. Add the olive oil, if using. Season lightly with salt.

Scatter the green onion and, if using, the cilantro on top, add a few turns of black pepper and enjoy right away.

Note: To cut an avocado into cubes, cut it in half lengthwise, cutting around the fruit in a circle. Hold it in both hands and twist in opposite directions to remove it from its seed.

Holding the half with the seed in your non-dominant hand and, with a sharp knife in your dominant hand, smack the seed gently but firmly and then twist the knife to loosen and pull out the seed.

Using a small sharp knife, make diagonal cuts in one half of the fruit half an inch apart, cutting to but not through the skin; make similar cuts at a 90 degree angle to the first cut, forming cubes.

Cut the other half similarly and use a large soup spoon inserted between the flesh and the skin to scoop out the fruit.

Once you’ve done this a time or two, it will be quite easy.

Michele Anna Jordan is the author of 24 books to date. Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com.