A few times when my son was coming home from SCAD (Savannah College Arts & Design) in Savannah, GA for his summer break, I have requested him to bring home Vidalia onions, he would always say, ma that’s too heavy.

This year it seems there’s a bumper crop harvest of this sweet onions from Vidalia, GA. The farmers wanted to sell as early 1^st week of spring but encountered a little problem with the government council. Anyway, evidence of the unusual harvest, it is being sold in bulk which never happened before in a crochet-like red plastic bag usually used for onions, potatoes and a few fruits. Wow, I’m sure the Vidalia restaurant in Washington, DC, consistently in the top 100 restaurants in the Metro DC area (DC-MD-VA areas) since it opened per Washingtonian Magazine, (the magazine Washingtonians live by), have their hands full in churning out dishes with Vidalia.

If Vidalia onion is not available in your area, Vidalia restaurant serves a lot of dishes featuring this onion from early spring to the middle of September. When you come to visit the numerous entrance-free Smithsonian museums or attend the Cherry Blossom Festival, make a reservation at this restaurant and ask for their dress code. A lot of high-end restaurants in DC are strict on dress codes.

As I was writing this blog evening of July 30, Vidalia onion was one of the featured food items in the Travel Channel’s American Grilled, along with quail and pork cheeks. Theset location was in Savannah, GA. The Korean store where I shop (see photo below) for “unusual” cuts and parts of pork and beef carries pork cheeks. It is where I get Argentinian and Korean cuts of beef & pork. It has the parts I like most including beef tendon, whole pork belly with skin on (good for Chinese roasted pork), Korean cut short ribs, thinly sliced pork belly, beef bone marrow, with or without shank meat, a large assortment of seafood (similar to shopping at Fulton Market in NYC where they get their supply or Main Avenue Fish Market in DC), cleaned & cut upon one’s request. Lastly, it carries fruits/vegetables not available in regular grocery stores, and their food items are cheaper even against advertised sales items from regular grocery stores.

Pork cheeks would be very appetizing in a stew with tamarind-vidalia onion sauce.

Ingredients:
Note: pcs/pieces – tsp/teaspoon – oz/ounce – qts/quarts - EVOO/extra virgin olive oil

Vidalia onions:

12 Vidalia onions, cut into half and sliced crosswise (equivalent to almost a cup when carmelized)
1/4 cup cooking oil

1. Slice onions lengthwise and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes before slicing to avoid tearing up. (It works, I’ve been doing this in Manila when I make Oyster Ceviche)
2. On a big skillet, pour oil, sauté the onions for about 30 to 35 minutes. To avoid scorching occasionally stir until light brown.

Cod pieces:

2 pcs cod fillets, cut into 4 pcs each
1-1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp Onion & Herb Seasoning (see here)
1 cup rice flour or all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup cooking oil

1. Cut each cod fillet into 4 pcs and season with salt on one side.
2. Mix seasoning, flour and cornstarch in a shallow bowl. Coat the cod pieces with flour mixture on both sides. Shake to remove excess flour before frying.
3. Pour half of the oil on a nonstick skillet and fry each side for three minutes on medium heat, then let cod drain over cookie cooling rack.
4. Serve cod over tomato sauce.
5. Top cod pieces with carmelized Vidalia onions and have remaining onions serve on the side.
6. Serve with steamed rice and will serve 5-6 people.

Tomato sauce:

8 roma tomatoes, do vinegar rinse before chopping (see here)
1 cup Vidalia onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup EVOO
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cardamon powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp red pepper flakes

1. Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, EVOO and salt in a food processor and pulse for 10 seconds three times or until semi liquefied.
2. Transfer to 3.5 qts saucepan, add the cardamom, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and salt.
3. Simmer for 25 minutes on low fire and occasionally stir.
4. Turn off heat and transfer to a bowl.

Promo folks of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle sent Whoopi to a rival morning show without Green rooms?. She had to take her nap on top of 3 chairs. What’s wrong with GOOD MORNING AMERICA? GMA is still on the top of ratings game.

Read the original on: The Chew Inn-NoVA