Onions - Vegetable/Fruit Summer Produce

➤ When: For most of the United States, the peak onion season is late summer and early fall. Look for cipollini onions (small, flat, and very sweet) and torpedo onions (they’re red!). Try new onions you’ve never tried; their flavors are all slightly different.

➤ What to Look For: Avoid onions that have sprouts, mold, or soft spots. Fresh onions will last two weeks before they begin to sprout: most of the available onions are storage onions, which have been dried and last for months. Buy white, yellow, and red. If you can buy only one, buy white: the flavor is clean and fresh.

➤ Why: Onions contain age-reducing flavonoids and selenium. Another age-reducing benefit is that certain substances (we do not know what substances) in onions inhibit the bacteria associated with stomach ulcers.

➤ How to Use: Many dishes could use an onion, so have them on hand at all times. Sauté, grill, roast, or simmer them. Add them to sauces or vegetable medleys. Caramelize onions as a topping for portobello mushrooms or tuna steak. For a pasta sauce with a twist, blend roasted onions with roasted serrano peppers, roasted garlic, and roasted tomatoes or tomatillos, oregano, and olive oil. To store, keep onions in a cool, dark, dry place.

This Side Dish Recipe was published in 'Cooking The RealAge Way, Turn Back Your Biological Clock with More Than 80 Delicious and Easy Recipes (MICHAEL F. ROIZEN, M.D. and JOHN LA PUMA, M.D.) - p185 and p186'