We have are just days away from outside parties and dining. Why not add one of Georgia's great resources, the Vidalia Onion, to your menu. My first experience with Vidalia Onions in the LowCountry was slicing them thin for a garnish on a burger or for buttermilk onion rings. When I first moved to the LowCountry in 1992, a man was selling them out of the back of a old school bus, just before the Sea Pines Circle on Hilton Head Island. People also stopped at that location for Rock's Bar-B-Que and the video poker machines.
I was requested to bring back Vidalia Onions to Central New York for the Holidays, friends and family were looking forward to them.
Times have changed, the town of Hilton Head closed Rock's and the bus is gone. You can still find the onions at the major grocery stores, but what fun is that. My suggestion is to hit one of the stands in nearby Bluffton or at Polk's in downtown Savannah.
I stumbled on this recipe a few summers ago, so I thought this might be a great way to start of the Spring 2009 Recipe Blogs, Vidalia Onion Salad.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups of diced ripe tomatoes 1/3 cup of chopped Vidalia Onions
15 fresh Basil leaves 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil
2 fresh medium ears of corn, cooked & cooled 1 tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar
pinch of salt salt & pepper to taste
STEPS
1. In medium bowl, combine tomatoes and onion. Scrape corn and juice off cobs, add to mixture. Shred Basil leaves, add to mixture.
2. In another medium bowl, combine oil, vinegar & salt, cover and shake. Add mixture, toss to coat, season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and Chill. Enjoy.
David,
Glad you're a fan of our sweet onions. Your readers should come to the festival here in Vidalia later this month!
Wendy Brannen
Director
Vidalia Onion Comm.
www.VidaliaOnion.org
OH--here's the festival website, too:
www.vidaliaonionfestival.com
Posted by: Wendy Brannen | April 07, 2009 at 12:51 PM