Saturday, May 21, 2011

Vidalia Onions

The Vidalia Onion is a sweet onion which was first grown in Vidalia, Georgia in the 1930's.
It has the distinction of being called "the world's sweetest onion." It is also the official State Vegetable of Georgia.

And...did y'all know that you can't grow Vidalia Onions in your backyard? No ma'am, there is a legally definied region of South Georgia where Vidalia Onions can be grown or sold.

Available from late-April to mid-November, these sweet onions are a great source of vitamin C and dietary fiber; they are fat-free and low in calories, with no sodium and no cholesterol. They taste fabulous when served with salads, sandwiches, or burgers. You can bake the Vidalia Onion* and I have included a great recipe below.

Southern Tip: It's Vidalia with a long "I", pronounced "VI-dalia" not "ve-DAY-lia".

Last night I made a fresh salad with mixed greens, cucumber, tomatoes, and vidalia onions. I served the salad with the Taste of Gourmet Sweet Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette and french bread and olive oil dip. This creamy and slightly sweet & lightly peppered Vinaigrette is an old-fashioned favorite for salads and dipping vegetables. It is also a perfect topping drizzled over sliced fresh tomatoes...oh-so Southern!





You can order the Sweet Vidalila Onion Vinaigrette online at my Taste of Gourmet site here.


Of course, there is a Vidalia Onion Queen! The pageant was held on April 16, 2011 in where else?...Vidalia, Georgia. Here's the Queen and her Court...

(L-R) Junior Miss Vidalia Onion Angela Robertson, Miss Onion Seed Nora Grace Mercer, Miss Vidalia Onion Amanda Lawler, and Miss Spring Onion Calista Brogdon.

I love a Southern beauty pageant y'all!!!

Remember, you can order the Taste of Gourmet Sweet Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette here. Every Southerner has their favorite recipe for a dish with Vidalia Onions...this one is mine and I can't wait to prepare it!

Recipe for Vidalia Onion Pie:
1 cup crushed saltines
1/4 cup melted margarine
2 cups thinly slicled Vidalia onions
2 tbsp margarine
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs slightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
3/4 tsp salt

Mix saltines with the melted margarine. Press into 9" pie plate. Saute the onions in 2 tbsp margarine until tender, but not brown. Pour into crumb crust. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over onions. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Thank you for visiting with me and I hope that y'all are enjoying this Vidalia Onion season!
at

12 comments:

  1. A Hint of HomeMay 21, 2011 at 10:20 AM

    Look like a yummy recipe! We love those onions!
    Yeah! Scotty made it to the next round on A.I. I pick him as the winner!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Leigh Powell HinesMay 21, 2011 at 10:54 AM

    I love Vidalia onions. The recipe looks great.

    ReplyDelete
  3. sparrowsandsparklesMay 21, 2011 at 12:07 PM

    Oh how I love Vidalias! We have Walla Wallas (WA State) out here which are similar but I always buy the Vidalias when I find them :) xo

    ReplyDelete
  4. Suburban PrincessMay 21, 2011 at 3:04 PM

    Sounds yummy! My dinner tonight is tomatoes, cukes, onions and feta...but I just have red onions :O(

    ReplyDelete
  5. Tammy BMay 21, 2011 at 5:00 PM

    I love vidalia onions. I always heard that the reason they are so good is because the soil in South Georgia does not contain sulfur. I also like onion pie. Thanks for the recipe. That salad looks mighty delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  6. bjMay 21, 2011 at 7:31 PM

    O, they are, by far, the sweetest, best onions God ever grew. We love them to pieces.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AmyMay 21, 2011 at 7:33 PM

    Mmm...I love vidalia onion pie! I'll have to give your recipe a whirl.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Home of a MagnoliaMay 21, 2011 at 10:31 PM

    I must confess I was in the Miss Vidalia Onion Pageant and grew up eating the onions. My son just sold them for 4-H so we have a truck load to eat over the next month. Happy cooking w/your Vidalias.

    ReplyDelete
  9. TonyaMay 21, 2011 at 10:36 PM

    That recipe looks delicious! I love any kind of vinaigrette!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Paula@SweetPeaMay 22, 2011 at 7:51 AM

    My late mother-in-law ordered a box of Vidalia onions for me every single spring until she passed away. I didn't know until I read your post that I've been pronouncing them wrong all of these years!

    ReplyDelete
  11. KaraMay 22, 2011 at 12:24 PM

    LoVe the recipe....and well I must say 'Rosebriar Spring Open House' was a HugH success! I bought as much as I sold...Debbie says,"Hi Miss Janice"..

    Miss Kara

    ReplyDelete
  12. Gracie BethMay 22, 2011 at 11:53 PM

    Vidalia onions are the ONLY type of onion in my opinion!

    ReplyDelete