How Do I Love Onions, Let Me Count...

First are chives. I use regular chives for a mild onion flavor and the blossoms in salads . I have circle chives too, but I've never tried eating those. They are just too pretty.

Second are Egyptian walking onions. I use those instead of scallions. Both of these are now out of reach in the frozen garden.

Third are shallots. These have a mild onion flavor too ,and are my choice for winter use where mild uncooked onion flavor is called for. Some of the shallot crop is saved for seed. The seed braids hang in the background. The seed braids have a tag at the bottom that reads SEED. The seed braids are hung as high as possible hopefully beyond each reach of the cook. This has to do with past experience . No need to go there again.

Fourth are potato onions. The braid in the foreground of the photo is potato onions. They are great for cooking. Both shallots and potato onions are bunching onions. You plant one onion and get a bunch. Once purchased the same stock can be carried over from year to year. The saved seed onions and shallots will be planted in the garden very early in the spring.

Some gardeners might stop there, but not me. I said I love onions ! Onion plants get ordered in January. Wait that's NOW! Gotta go!

Egyptian Walking Onions

I love these onions even though they are kind of like a bad hair day. They start out looking like a perfectly normal onion and then the top bulbs begin to grow new plants . Eventually the top part falls to the ground and another plant takes root . I love the sculptural quality of these plants.
They are easy to start just get a couple of the top bulbs to plant and you'll soon have a patch.

A lot of onions grow in our garden. We grow garlic, potato onions, onion plants , shallots, chives and these Egyptian onions. It may seem odd to grow so many, but I use the chives and shallots raw for their more delicate flavor. The red and white onions are sweet , and wonderful for sauteing. The potato onions are a bunching onion. You plant one and get a bunch. They store very well and we can save seed from them to replant next year. Fresh garlic is a necessity for us. I use the Egyptian onions in recipes that call for scallions.

I really was captivated by the onion braid in Michael Caine's kitchen in the movie The Ipcress File. I hope I'll be making some cool braids this year. I'm particularly watching the red and white sweet onions and of course the garlic.