Backyard Bounty

Marinated Spring Onions

We have received a very warm welcome into our new neighborhood vis a vis our friendly new neighbor - Paul. He is an avid gardener with little spare time to cook (on account of his very busy dog walking schedule). We are counting ourselves lucky to live in such close proximity to someone with such a wealth of gardening knowledge, and even luckier when we become the benefactors of his backyard bounty. Recently, he gifted us this beautiful bouquet of spring onions. 

Similar to our chimichurri recipe, these  green onions can be used as a condiment or marinade & they pair incredibly well with grilled meats. Using a sharp knife, slice the white parts of the spring onions paper thin. Toss together with 1 tbsp walnut oil (expensive, but worth every penny!), 1/2-1 tsp balsamic vinegar & a generous handful of fresh, chopped thyme. Let sit for a few hours -- for best results overnight. The walnut oil breaks down the bitterness of the onions & allows these onions to take on a delicate nutty flavor. We served with a grilled skirt steak, but this would also be great with grilled vegetables and perhaps feta cheese. Frankly, these are so good, we tend to snack on them alone. 

And we always reserve our scallion greens to make a Korean Seafood Pancake (Haemul Pajeon). It has taken us years to finally get this right - and this last time we nailed it (perhaps we have Paul and his backyard inspiration to thank)! I was feeling too spooked by the prospect of yet another failed attempt to document this particular round, but perhaps this recipe from Apartment Therapy's thekitchn can provide a springboard for experimentation, should you feel inspired to try this at home. 

photo credits:
#1: Andrei Sinioukov; #2: thekitchn