How To Use Your Onion Bulb

We had a few phone calls to The Culinary Center of Kansas City after Farmer Steven brought bulb onions in the CSA boxes from Just Natural Farms.  “What do we do with them?!”, some subscribers asked.  Steven reports that while the bulbs are a bit sweeter than a normal green onion, you can use them just like you do green onions in a recipe. 

And here’s another tip: Many people just use the white or reddish bulb end of the onion, but you’re missing out on a lot of great food if you don’t chop up and use the greens also!

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Here’s a recipe we like that calls for green onions – try out your bulbs here!

Traditional Curry Soup with Sweet Potato

BROTH

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons shallots, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled, chopped
• 2 kaffir leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled, minced
• 2 tablespoons Thai yellow curry paste (or red curry paste)
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek)
• 2 (13.5 to 14 ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk, divided
• 5 cups low-salt chicken stock (or vegetable stock or water)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 cups red-skinned sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 cups jasmine rice, cooked according to package
• 1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
• 3 red Thai bird chiles, thinly sliced with seeds, for garnish (or 2 red jalapeño chiles)
• 1 lime, cut into 6 wedges, for garnish

For the broth, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic. Add the kaffir leaves and ginger and cook for 1 minutes or until fragrant, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in curry paste, curry powder, and chili paste. Add 1/2 cup coconut milk (scooped from thick liquid at top of can). Stir for 2 minutes or until thick and fragrant. Add the remaining 1 ½ cups coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce, and sugar; bring broth to boil. Keep warm.  (The broth can be made 1 day ahead; refrigerate until cold, then cover and keep chilled.)

Bring water to a boil. Add sweet potato cubes; stir to heat, about 1 minute. Using strainer, remove sweet potato from pot and rinse under cold water to cool. Place in small bowl. (The sweet potatoes can be made 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

To complete/assemble, bring broth to a boil. Add sweet potatoes and stir to heat through, about 1 minute. Divide rice among bowls and add soup. Top with green onions, cilantro, Thai chilies, and a wedge of lime, for garnish.  Serve.  Makes 10 servings.