FLORIDA SWEET ONIONS ARE READY TO PICK

 If you are hankering for a good onion, now is the time for Florida Sweet Onions. We have tons growing all over the farm in our ground pots. These onions are as sweet as an apple! The season is very short, so don't hesitate, come on out. 

 

Our Florida Sweets are part of the short-day variety. They are a Granex.Granex 33 has been the standard recommended onion variety for farm and garden in our state for many years.  Testing and research with sweet onions has demonstrated that Florida grown onions could match the quality of the proper "Vidalia." The Vidalia is also a Granex Onion.

This is good news for local gardeners, who wish to produce their own sweet onions.  Gardeners, who wish to grow a sweet bulbing onion should select a Granex-type short day variety.  For home gardeners, seed of Granex 33 will probably be the easiest to find. Check out the Johnny's Seed for a great variety of onions. The Florida Sweets (Granex) should be planted in December. But other varieties of onions do great all year long in Hydroponic Gardens. We have rows of White Spear bunching onions that taste great in many types of dishes, salads, soups, etc.

Onions grow well in most parts of the U.S. and have many uses in the kitchen. You can grow them specifically for green onions or you can let them mature and harvest them for their large bulbs. You can also choose to grow onions and use a few early as green onions, harvesting the remainder as delicious bulb onions.

There are also special kinds of onions that don't develop bulbs and that are used exclusively for green onions. Onions are a popular cool season vegetable and although they are considered a biennial plant they are grown as annuals.

Onions grow in an unusual manner. They start growing the large bulbs we know as onions when the levels of daylight reach an appropriate level for them to start forming. The time that you plant the onions affects when they form bulbs. If you plant your onions too late in the season, they may not form bulbs properly.

One important thing to remember about onions is that there are two different classes: long-day and short-day onions. Long-day onions are more appropriate for northern states because they are adapted to longer days. Southern states should use short-day varieties of onions. When you go to your nursery, they will usually list long-day onions as L and short-day onions as S. Short day onions develop bulbs with an average of about 12 hours of daylight. Long-day onions form bulbs with more sun, around 15-16 hours of daylight. You should grow the kind of onion appropriate for your region to ensure proper maturation of the onion bulbs.

"WASTE NOT, WANT NOT"

"BUY LOCAL, BUY SEASONAL, BUY FRESH"

"WE ARE GOING GREEN, HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY"

SLOW COOKER CORN BEEF AND CABBAGE

2 Pounds small red potatoes

1 � cups baby carrots

1 medium onion, cut into 8 wedges

1 (2 to 2 �) corned beef brisket with seasonings packet TIP: if you do not like the packet mixture, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic

2 cups lager beer or apple juice, and as needed water

8 thin wedges of cabbage

Place potatoes, carrots and onion in a 5 to 6 � quart slow cooker. Top with corned beef brisket, sprinkle with contents of seasoning blend. Add apple juice or beer enough to cover brisket.

Cover and cook on low setting for 10-12 hour's.

About 40 minutes before serving, remove brisket from slow cooker; place on serving platter and cover to keep warm. Add cabbage wedges to vegetables and broth in slow cooker. Increase heat setting to high, cover and cook an additional 30 to 35 minutes or until cabbage is crisp-tender.

Meanwhile in small bowl combine horseradish ingredients and mix well.

Horseradish sauce:

� cup sour cream

� cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. prepared horseradish

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

Guinness Mustard:

� cup coarse-grained Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp. minced scallions

2 Tbsp. regular Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. Guinness stout or other stout or porter

1 tsp. golden brown mustard

Whisk all ingredients in small bowl to blend. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. TIP: Do ahead: can be made 2 days in advance. Keep refrigerated.

TO SERVE: cut corned beef across grain into thin slices. With slotted spoon, remove vegetables from slow cooker. Serve corned beef and vegetables with sauce.

CHECK WITH FARMER JOHN, TO SEE IF HE HAS CARROTS.

IRISH BROWN SODA BREAD

4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup bread flour

1/3 cup rolled oats

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 � cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease two baking sheets. In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, white flour, rolled oats, baking soda and salt. Gently mix in the buttermilk until a soft dough is formed. Knead very lightly. Divide dough into 4 pieces; form into rounded flat loaves. Mark each loaf with and 'X' and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake in preheat oven until golden brown, about 30-45 minutes.

CREAMED SPINACH/OR CAN BE USED AS A DIP

2 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Large onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 bunches of spinach, stemmed and chopped

Salt and black pepper to taste

� tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

� cup heavy cream

In a medium saut� pan over medium-high heat, melt butter and then add the olive oil. Mix in the onions and garlic; cook for 2 minutes until soft. Add the chopped spinach and warm through. Add the salt, nutmeg and heavy cream. Mix well. Cook until liquid reduces by half, roughly 3 to 4 minutes. THE SPINACH AT THE FARM IS ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS, LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE.

MINTY IRISH CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE

9-inch pie crust, baked and cooled or 1 9-ounce graham cracker crust

1 � cup sugar

� cup cocoa

1/3 cup cornstarch

� tsp. salt

2 � cup milk

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1 � tsp vanilla extract

1 � cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

18 small York Peppermint patties (1 � inches in diameter), dived

6 drops green food color (optional)

Prepare pie crust. Combine sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt in medium saucepan; gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full rolling boil; boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into prepared pie crust; carefully press plastic wrap directly onto pie filling. Cool; refrigerate 6 hours or until firm.

Shortly before serving, remove wrappers from peppermint patties. Remove plastic wrap from pie. Cut 9 peppermint patties in half; place cut side down at outer edge of pie filling,

forming s scalloped edge. Finely chop remaining 9 patties; fold into whipped topping with green food coloring, if desired. Spread peppermint top on pie. Serve immediately. Cover; refrigerate leftover pie.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THESE RECIPES OR LOOKING FOR AND OLD FAMILY FAVORITE CONTACT ANDREA AT afreebody@verizon.net or TERRIE AT john@hydroharvestfarms.com .

RECIPES COURTESY OF ANDREA FREEBODY, APOLLO BEACH, FL