Versatile, various onions in season now

Right about the time local citrus is getting a bit long in the tooth, so to speak, and before local strawberries have the slightest blush of red, there are onions: big, small, white, yellow and shades of red-purple. There are golden shallots, green scallions and white garlic. The first of the year’s green garlic and spring onions are just beginning to show up at our farmers markets.

Every year at about this time, I start to crave green onions, a sign, I like to think, of my body’s wisdom. Green onions are nutritional superheroes and help us shake off the fog of winter. They contain substantial amounts of vitamins A, C and K. They are low in calories and high in flavor. A cup of green onions, which is a lot, has just 19 calories.

If you’re having difficulty clearing out winter cobwebs, grill a few scallions and enjoy them neat or alongside a couple tacos. Or cut several into thin diagonal slices and toss them with hot pasta, ultra-premium extra-virgin olive oil, grated dry Jack and plenty of black pepper.

As I await the next storm, which will likely come with high winds and possibly with power outages, I am focusing on all things onion, including a voluptuous version of French onion soup that I made during a storm in the 1990s when my power was out for seven days. Will my advance planning ensure the storm will be mild? That’s my hope.

French Onion Soup, My Way

Makes about 6 servings

Using several kinds of onions, along with leeks, shallots, and garlic, creates layers of flavor in this soup. Before making it, be certain you have really good beef stock on hand; the better the stock, the better the soup will be. This soup, along with a classic Caesar salad, is one of my favorite comfort meals.

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large shallots, peeled, trimmed and thinly sliced

3 yellow onions, peeled, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 white onions, peeled, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 red onions, peeled, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 leek, white part only, cleaned and thinly sliced

Kosher salt

1 garlic bulb, cloves separated, peeled and thinly sliced

½ cup brandy

Black pepper in a mill

1 cup dry red wine

6 cups homemade beef stock

6 slices good bread (2-day-old bread is ideal), lightly toasted

8 ounces cheese, grated (Italian Fontina, Gruyere or Monterey Jack)

In a large heavy soup kettle, heat the butter and olive oil until the butter is foamy. Add the shallots, onions and leek. Season with salt and saute over low heat until they are very limp, fragrant and completely tender, about 40 minutes. Do not let them brown. Add the garlic and saute 5 minutes more.

Turn the heat to high, add the brandy, shake the pan and cook until the brandy is evaporated. Season with salt and several turns of black pepper. Add the wine and stock, bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer gently for about 40 minutes.

Taste and correct the seasoning.

To serve, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Ladle soup into deep bowls, set a piece of bread on top and sprinkle cheese over the bread. Set the bowls of soup on a baking sheet and carefully set in the oven, until the cheese is fully melted.

Remove from the oven, set each bowl on a saucer and enjoy right away.

Sweet Onion Galette

Makes 3 - 4 servings

For those nervous about making pie dough, galettes are a great place to start. They require very little manipulation and are very forgiving. I enjoy both sweet and savory galettes, though my favorite in cold weather is onion.

For the galette shell

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Black pepper in a mill

6 tablespoons butter, preferably local, chilled and cut into cubes

¼ cup ice water

For the filling

2 large or 3 medium sweet onions, trimmed and cut into ¼-inch-thick rounds

3 tablespoons butter, plus more as needed

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons best-quality red wine vinegar

Black pepper in a mill

Anchovy fillets, optional

3 - 4 green onions, trimmed and very thinly sliced, optional

Flake salt, such as Murray River or Maldon

First, make the galette dough. Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a medium work bowl. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to work in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse-ground cornmeal. Add the ice water, and use your pointer finger to quickly stir in the water.

Turn out the mixture onto a large sheet of parchment, wax paper or plastic wrap and gently pull it up and around the dough to form a ball. Wrap tightly and chill for 1 hour.

While the dough chills, prepare the filling. First, separate the onion slices into rings. Put the butter into a wide saute pan set over medium heat. When it’s melted, add the onions and season lightly with salt. Turn the onions to coat them thoroughly in the butter, adding a bit more if needed. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the onions are limp and have released their sugar, about 35 minutes.

Add the vinegar, cook for 2 minutes and remove from the heat. Taste, correct for salt and add several turns of black pepper. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. Set the chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface and use the palm of your hand to pat it flat. Roll it into a 14-inch circle about ⅛-inch thick and carefully transfer to the parchment.

Working quickly, put the filling into the center of the galette and spread it over the surface, leaving a 2-inch margin. Pleat the margin of dough up and over the filling, gently pinching the dough as you fold.

Use a pastry brush to pick up any pan juices and brush the exposed part of the dough. If necessary, pat the filling with the brush to pick up a bit more of the juices. If using anchovies, drape them on top of the filling, like the spokes of a wheel. If using green onions, scatter them over the onion filling before folding over the dough. Sprinkle salt over everything, set on the middle rack of the oven and cook until the galette is crisp and golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool.

Cut into wedges and enjoy warm.

Red Onion Marmalade

Makes about 2 ½ cups

These scarlet-hued onions are visually stunning and equally delicious. Enjoy them alongside grilled, roasted or braised meats, especially duck. They make a great addition to just about any burger, too. My favorite use is to add a mound of this marmalade to cheese boards and charcuterie boards.

6 large red onions, trimmed and peeled

5 tablespoons butter

Kosher salt

½ cup best-quality red wine vinegar

1 - 2 tablespoons sugar, as needed

3 cups dry red wine

Black pepper in a mill

Cut the onions in half lengthwise. Cut each half into ¼-inch-thick half-rounds, cutting crosswise, not lengthwise.

Put the butter into a heavy saute pan set over medium heat. When it is melted, add the onions. Use tongs to turn the onions to coat them in butter; season lightly with salt. Continue to turn the onions every few minutes as they begin to wilt.

Lower the heat and cook the onions very slowly, turning them occasionally, until they are very soft and have begun to release their sugar, about 1 hour. Do not let them brown.

Increase the heat to high, add the vinegar and simmer until it nearly completely vanishes. Taste a piece of onion and if it seems at all flat, add a teaspoon of the sugar, stir and taste again. Repeat until the flavors blossom.

Add the wine, season very generously with black pepper and simmer until the wine is reduced to a tablespoon or so.

Remove from the heat. Enjoy right away or store, covered, in the refrigerator for a week or 2.

Michele Anna Jordan is the author of 24 books to date, including “The New Cook’s Tour of Sonoma.” Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com.