Have you noticed that onion and mushroom pizzas are all the rage these days It seems that every pizza parlour around now features a caramelized onion pizza topped with mushrooms and pungent gorgonzola cheese. And who can blame them The rich, sultry flavors of these three ingredients make for an surprising and exciting change from red- or white-sauced pizzas.

But we’re not here to talk about pizza. In fact, it was the glut of all these pizzas popping up on menus that made me wonder how the same flavors would work when painted on a different canvas… say, perhaps, a knot of whole wheat pasta?

Caramelized onions are, in my book, one of life’s greatest pleasures. From topping crostinis to starring in homemade onion dip, they enrich almost everything they encounter. I’ve been known to eat them plain, with no cares about the odorific consequences that might ensue. As I expected, they make an excellent base for this pasta sauce.

The only challenge to making them It’s really easy to burn the crap out of them, and you could find yourself scraping blackened onions from your frying pan if you don’t keep your patience. The key to making a great batch of caramelized onions is, quite simply, patience. Over low heat for at least 30 minutes, your onions will convert from crunchy white spears to a textured slurry of reddish-brown caramelized goodness.

Mushrooms, on the other hand, need to cook for only a couple of minutes, so I added those to the pan after the onions were completely cooked. Shiitake mushrooms are in season in Ohio, so I used a precious batch of those. You could easily sub in creminis or button mushrooms.

A bit of cream, some balsamic vinegar, and black pepper are finally added to transform this sauté into a sauce.

For the pasta, I opted for a whole wheat spaghetti. Most of the time, I prefer to use regular pasta, but I do greatly love spaghetti with a little bit of extra depth. It’s an easy switch to make, and Brad and I have been eating our spaghetti whole wheat for several years. Penne, on the other hand, not so much, I find that the whole wheat varieties taste more similar to toilet paper tubes than pasta.

But I digress. Mixed together, the color from the onions and mushrooms darkens the pasta for an attractive dish that tastes incredible. For a little extra something, gorgonzola crumbles can be added to the top, though I urge you to tread lightly: it’s a very strong cheese, and a little goes a long way.

I can see why pizza joints are hustling to get onion and mushroom pizzas onto their menus, but after putting this together, I think pasta restaurants should follow their lead.

Spaghetti with Caramelized Onions & Mushrooms

Serves 4-6

3 T unsalted butter, divided
2 large yellow onions
1 tsp salt
4 oz mushrooms, any variety, chopped
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 c heavy cream
1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 c gorgonzola cheese crumble

Peel the onions, then chop them into quarters. Slice the onions so that the pieces form crescent-shaped strips about 3″ long. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once butter has melted, add the onions and salt and toss well. Cook onions over medium for about 30 minutes, stirring often to caramelize all the onions.

When the onions have been cooking for about 10 minutes, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook to al dente.

As the spaghetti cooks and the onions are mostly caramelized, move the onions to one side of the frying pan and add the last tablespoon of butter to the cleared side of the pan. Add the chopped mushrooms to the pan and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Mix the mushrooms into the onions and add pepper and balsamic vinegar. Add the cream and reduce heat to low, stirring well to incorporate all the cream.

Drain the pasta into a colander, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot and pour the onion mixture into the pot on top of the pasta. Add about 1/2 a cup of the reserved pasta water and mix well until thoroughly combined, adding more pasta water if necessary. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Plate the spaghetti and add a few gorgonzola crumbles as a garnish.

For most of my life, I’ve eaten corn one of two ways: from a can or on the cob. (And I’m talking about kernels of corn here, not the corn syrup, corn meal, corn starch, and other corn products that certainly make up most of the “corn” in the average American diet.) In the summer, there was no greater thrill than Dad bringing home a bag full of fresh Colorado sweet corn, and I still look forward to the arrival of corn on the cob every time the season rolls around.

But it’s really only in the last few years that I’ve started appreciating fresh corn as an ingredient, as something more than just a cob of kernels slathered with butter. Fresh corn has flavor and texture that give everything from pizza to fajitas a little something extra.

In this dish, corn is not just an ingredient, it’s the star of the show. With two of my other favorite veggies to support it.

A fresh zucchini, half an onion, and two ears of corn. Plus a little seasoning, and that’s all there is to it. And don’t be scared of the corn on the cob, just slice it off with a nice, sharp knife.

None of these veggies take a long time to cook, but all of them are improved with a little bit of searing. Tossed in a frying pan or cast iron skillet for a few minutes is just enough to do the trick.

The result is a warm, crunchy dish that makes a great side and even a great main course. I like taking the leftovers for lunch, which is a great way to get a whole bunch of vegetable action without having to eat a cold salad.

So quick! Before the last weeks of summer and the last ears of sweet corn disappear to make room for the fall harvest, get thee to a farmers market!

Skillet Corn with Zucchini & Onions

2 ears of corn
1 medium zucchini
1 medium white or yellow onion
1 T oil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp seasoned salt

Shuck the ears of corn and remove as many silks as possible. Use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off the cobs. Slice the zucchini in half length-wise, then slice into long strips, then chop into small pieces. Dice the onion.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium. Once it’s hot, add the corn, onions, zucchini, black pepper, and seasoned salt to the pan and mix well. Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for about 10 more minutes, turning and stirring occasionally but allowing the mixture to char a bit.

Carefully pour the mixture into a serving bowl. This dish is excellent when served immediately, but it also reheats wonderfully for leftovers.

Ginger has never really been something I’ve thought about very much. Occasionally, my dad would add some ground ginger to stir fry, or I’d use some in fall desserts. But the farmers near Durham have been showcasing mounds of baby ginger at their tables for the last few weeks, and my curiosity about this knobby little root grew with each table I passed.

And with fortuitous timing, I came across this recipe for ginger apple chutney. Combined with apples & onions, also plentiful at local markets, this seemed like a perfect opportunity to buy a chunk of ginger. The recipe wasn’t written as one for canning, but I suspected the acid content would be high enough for canning and checked with a deft canning blogger to be sure.

This chutney likes a firm, tart apple. I used some of my last, precious pick-your-own Pink Ladies (sniff, sniff) but this would also work nicely with Fuji’s, Jazz, or Honeycrisp apples. Just make sure you peel them well, you won’t want any apple peelings invading your chutney.

Now how, you might ask, does one use ginger apple chutney Thus far, I’ve only used it for one out-of-this-world meal, which I promise to tell you about in my next post you can find right here! But how else I suspect this is delicious served atop a pork chop, or mixed with cream to create a spicy, flavorful sauce bursting with autumn flavor. I am eager to try it mixed with cream cheese as a dip, or even as a dip all on its own. I’ve used one of my half-pints, and I imagine I’ll use the remaining four before I’ve exhausted the ways I want to eat it.

Ginger Apple Chutney
Adapted from Katie at the Kitchen Door

Make 2-3 pints

NOTE: I’ve tested the pH of this chutney, and it is safe as written for waterbath canning. Avoid the urge to add extra onions, as they are low in acid and may alter the pH.

1 medium onion, diced
3 T minced fresh ginger
8 medium crisp apples, peeled & diced into 1/4″ pieces (Pink Lady, Fuji, or other firm apple)
1/2 c lemon juice
1 tsp canola oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 c apple cider
1 c apple cider vinegar

Dice onion, peel & mince ginger, and peel apples. Dice apples into 1/4″ pieces and place them in a separate bowl, sprinkling a bit of the lemon juice over them after adding each diced apple to prevent them from turning brown.

Heat canola oil in a large pot, at least three quarts in size. Add onion & ginger and sauté for about 5 minutes or until onions begin to soften. Add apples, salt, & pepper and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add apple cider & apple cider vinegar and stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. The liquid should reduce by about 3/4 and the mixture should be thick, not liquidy. Adjust seasoning to taste with additional salt & pepper if desired.

If you are not canning the chutney, store in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks.

For Canning
Fill 4-5 sterilized half-pint jars with chutney. Pound the jars on the counter to remove any air bubbles, and ensure that each jar has 1/2″ head space. Place flat lids on the jars and spin on the rings finger-tight. Process in a water bath canner for 15 minutes. Remove jars from canner and allow them to sit overnight to cool.

Remove rings from jars and lift by the edge of the flat lid to ensure a tight seal. Label jars and store in a cool, dark place.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it in every post since mid-September: I love fall. Everything about it… almost. That cool, brisk air and the crunchy golden leaves fluttering down like pennies in a pool are spectacular elements of the season. But they are caused, of course, by our hemisphere tipping away from the sun for the winter, and our hours of sunshine diminish rapidly. Add in our “fall back” from Daylight Savings Time, and suddenly I’m driving home from work in the dark every day for the next four months. This lack of sunshine not only lowers my energy and productivity, it also seriously cramps my food-bloggin’ style.

In early summer, I discovered that I had a much easier time taking photos for this site if I essentially stopped preparing food in my dismally dark kitchen. A table in our office against the window (purchased by Brad some time ago as a study station for the rare moments he wants to study at home) has now become my destination for cutting boards full of ingredients. The natural light that pours into this room is vastly superior than the peaked light fixture in the kitchen. I’ve virtually stopped photographing in my kitchen all together, save for the occasional cooking-in-the-pot action shot or rolled-out-dough-on-the-counter.

So as the days get shorter, you can pretty much guarantee that if the sun is out and I’m not at my job, I’m probably trucking ingredients back and fort between the office and the kitchen.

Now you know.

Such was the case on Wednesday, when I finally had the perfect nexus of daylight, time off, and a baguette that hadn’t turned to a brick, to share a recipe with you’ve I’ve been trying to share for A YEAR. I discovered these little gems last year when I threw my Halloween party and they disappeared more rapidly than almost any other treat I cooked up. Simple enough, these little crostinis are quite the catch.

As is to be expected, this recipe starts with the chopping of onions and their slow, wonderful caramelization. As with most recipes involving caramelized onions, I am usually extremely confident that I’ll have WAY too many onions at the end. Don’t think that way. It’s amazing how far onions will cook down in 30-40 minutes. Plus, if you do have leftovers, you can always make this, which is almost reason to make too many onions on purpose, if you ask me.

Aside from onions, our thin slices of baguette are simply spread with a bit of dijon mustard and topped with some wonderfully pungent gruyère. The slicing and spreading and grating are perfect ways to pass the time while the onions caramelize.

These would be perfectly edible at this point, but what is French-onion-anything without a pleasant melting of cheese Just a few minutes in the oven (under the broiler if you PROMISE to keep an eye on them) does the trick.

Before you know it, you’ll have a gorgeous little snack. These make a great savory addition to any party menu, especially since they can be whipped up in a flash and require so few ingredients.

It’s a good thing they are quick to make too: I almost didn’t get photos of the finished product before the sun disappeared for the day. Thanks goodness for tripods and manual exposure!

French Onion Crostinis

3 medium onions
3 T butter
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 French baguette, 1-2 days old
8 oz gruyère cheese, grated
3/4 c dijon mustard

Peel onions and chop in half. Lay each half of the onion flat side down and slice onion in 1/4″ slices. Separate layers of the slices so you end up with about six cups of half-moon shaped pieces. Heat butter in a large frying pan until melted and add onions. Sauté for 5-10 minutes until onions begin to soften. Add salt, pepper, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce and place heat on medium. Cook onions for another 30 minutes or so, stirring often, until onions are very soft and cooked through.

While onions are cooking, preheat oven to 375°F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. While onions are cooking, slice baguette on the bias in slices a little less than 1/2″ thick. Spread one side of each piece of baguette with a thin layer of mustard and place on the cookie sheets, mustard-side up, fitting as many onto each pan as you can.

Once onions have caramelized, place some onions on top of each piece of baguette, enough to include onion in each bite. You can add more or less to taste, depending on how many onions you chopped. Sprinkle a tablespoon or two of grated cheese on top of the onions on each piece.

Bake crostinis in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese has melted and begun to bubble. You can also finish with a minute or two under the broiler, but keep a close eye on them to make sure they don’t burn. Serve warm!

A shift in the weather has finally come to North Carolina.  After a disgustingly hot Labor Day weekend, the last few days have been gloriously cool. I’m thrilled for fall to arrive, but sometimes, I think the transition into the season is almost more exhilarating than the heart of the season itself. Just a few months ago, I ached for the warmth of summer. I couldn’t wait to shed my scarves, jeans, and sweaters and swap them out for flip flops and tank tops. But now, as we teeter on the outer edge of a long, hot summer, I can’t wait to don my long-sleeved tees, comfy socks, and tall, brown boots.

Buuuut it’s still a bit warm for that. But there are still plenty of ways to get ready for fall. One of them is to add this rockin’ dip to your TO MAKE IMMEDIATELY list. Take it to your next football tailgate, Halloween party, or movie night. Seriously, I urge you to find any excuse.

I’ve “made” onion dip before. A packet of onion soup mix and a tub of sour cream and shazam! Chip & dip time! But this is unlike any onion dip I’ve ever had. probably because it actually features the fine, fine flavors of real onion. A LOT of onion. This recipe yields about three cups, but it starts with four full cups of raw onion. Then, aided by the deep and sultry additions of balsamic vinegar and brown sugar, those crisp raw onions transform until their decadent, caramelized selves.

Instead of sour cream, the bulk of this dip is made of Greek yogurt. I’ve recently been rather obsessed with using Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, and this recipe was a major success.

After that, the onions mix in and the dip is technically ready for snacking. However, a couple hours in the fridge allows the flavor to pull from the onions into the rest of the dip, so sneak a few chips and then allow the dip to chill for a while.

And then.

Break out the party plates and invite over your friends. And heck, go ahead and put on some jeans and a jacket. Fall is coming, and this dip wants you to celebrate.

Caramelized Onion Dip
Adapted from Simply Recipes

2 T olive oil
4 cups diced yellow onions, about 3 medium-sized onions
1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 c Greek yogurt
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/2 tsp garlic powder
splash of Worcestershire sauce
additional salt to taste

Place a large, heavy pot over medium heat and add olive oil. Heat until oil glistens. Add onions and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and are becoming translucent. Add brown sugar, sea salt, black pepper, and balsamic vinegar and mix well. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook onions for 30 more minutes, uncovered, stirring frequently. Remove pot from the heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes to allow onions to cool a bit.

While onions are cooling, combine Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce in a medium-sized bowl and mix well. Add onions and stir until all are coated with the yogurt mixture.

Dip can be served immediately, with tasty potato chips, but is even more dreamy after chilling for a couple of hours.