Shallots, Onions, Scallions and Garlic............

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Mad Dilys
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Shallots, Onions, Scallions and Garlic............

Post by Mad Dilys »

In the crisper of my fridge for the last couple of months there have been a few packets of Shallot lurking. Originally bought to be used for a special meal I decided to over winter them in the fridge and plant them in flower troughs in the Spring.

There is no soil in this poxy garden only paving, decking and gravel. :evil:

I just love roast shallots, yet they aren't often offered for sale in Supermarkets, the ones I bought this year were the first I have seen for a very long time.

I don't like the taste of red onions or the way they go grey after cooking. Old fashioned Spanish onions are suitable for most things, but I must profess I like to cook with Spring Onions. I was quite surprised years ago when I discovered Scallions beloved by the Americans are just Spring onions by another name, still delicious cooked or raw.

There can't be too much garlic in a savoury dish for me, love roast bulbs - sweet and delicious. Not keen on the Jumbo garlic, nor the Chinese which are easier to peel but different in flavour.

In Egypt I used to get about 20kg a year from my garden, I peeled them while watching television in the evening. The village ladies get together for a gossip session and peel garlic while they chat. :up


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LovelyLadyLux
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Re: Shallots, Onions, Scallions and Garlic............

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

Here I believe 'spring' onions are known as boiling onions. Not very large, usually quite hard and usually fairly strong (you'll cry peeling them if you hang your head over the cutting board.)

Quite like Spanish onions and use them when I can get them.

I don't particularly like red onions or the big soft white ones with paper skin however I DO love the ones known as "Walla walla." Huge sweet delicious and the BEST in onion soup. Some people eat Walla wallas by simply biting into them - eating them like an apple.

Love garlic. Have never been terribly successful at growing it here. You plant it now and hope it doesn't rot over the wet winters - you do get the scapes and then the bulb but I find it easier to just buy the big jars of chopped garlic. Lots of people here swear by elephant garlic but it seems rather bland to me.
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Ruby Slippers
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Re: Shallots, Onions, Scallions and Garlic............

Post by Ruby Slippers »

LLL, here in the UK, spring onions are like tiny leeks, and we normally eat them with salads uncooked, although they can be chopped up finely to use in stir fry dishes etc. You probably wouldn't boil them though.
Mad Dilys
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Re: Shallots, Onions, Scallions and Garlic............

Post by Mad Dilys »

They do look like tiny leeks RR. Actually they are onion seedlings that haven't yet plumped up into a bulb. Not all onion seeds are suitable as some will plump when quite young, but strains have been developed that wouldn't make good keeping bulbs.

Waste not = want not I guess. ;)
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LovelyLadyLux
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Re: Shallots, Onions, Scallions and Garlic............

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

Ohhhh - the onions that look like tiny leeks are known here as "green onions." They're usually added to tuna salad or egg salad sandwiches (just chopped in raw with a bit of mayonnaise or salad dressing).
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