I have written at least once already, but maybe twice, about my love for cutting out recipes and inspo from magazines and newspapers. I have a collection that spans several decades, stuffed inside an old manila envelope. I often think about organizing them into a binder for ease of referencing, but I am partial to the disheveled pile. The pile's unpredictability adds an element of mystery and intrigue each time I scatter the contents on the floor. The papers’ quirky, asymmetrical folds and the array of colors and finishes are almost artsy. And at this point in my life, many of the clippings are bordering on vintage, based on the classic definition, which states an item must be at least twenty years old.
Anyways…. I just finished reading the final pages of my first book of 2025, The Core of an Onion by Mark Kurlansky. The book explained that onions, once considered lilies, are actually tunicate bulbs that have the ability to defend themselves. When put in a precarious situation, such as being attacked by critters, onions release sulfenic acid and enzymes which produce an irritating gas.
In the book, Kurlansky dives into the origins of onions and their uses throughout history, including placing them in the bodies and heads of mummies, the differences between wild onions and cultivated onions, the properties of onions, and various beliefs and laws surrounding the delicious bulb. For example, did you know that in 600 BCE onions were considered to contain qualities of darkness, including ignorance, sloth, lewdness, and fear? It's not necessarily surprising, considering how long ago 600 BCE was. However, the book did state that several cities in the United States still have old onion ordinances still on the books, although not enforced. In Northfield, Connecticut, it was illegal to eat onions while walking down the street, and in Dyersburg, Tennessee, it was prohibited to enter a movie theater within 4 hours of eating an onion.
The second half of the book was dedicated to onion-based dishes. The author discussed the history and origin of the dishes and their evolution over time. He included recipes from various centuries. And, like most cookbooks, the older the book, the less complicated and detailed the recipe was. Perhaps it was assumed cooks had a more basic level of competency than we do now.
After reading through these chapters, it should not come as a surprise that I was partial to the chapter on tarts and pies. The onion soup was a close second, as one of my winter favorites is a potato leek variety. At the tail end of my list sits creamed onions and the chapter devoted to puddings and custards, both of which I would probably find delightful if I gave them a chance. Perhaps, I will pencil them in for a rainy day…next year.
As I was reading the chapter on tarts and pies, I remembered the article I tore out of the New York Times back in 2020 - What I Learned From a Legend: Andre Soltner made this onion tart for 34 years at Lutece, and it’s still perfect by Gabrielle Hamilton. Lutece was a French restaurant in Manhattan that opened in 1961, and Soltner was the chef brought in to run the kitchen. The restaurant, which closed in 2004, was famous for its Alsatian onion tart, a recipe from Soltner’s childhood in Alsace. Hamilton included the recipe for this renowned tart in her article, which is a blessing for those who missed the opportunity to try Soltner’s masterpiece before Lutece’s closed.
Yesterday, I made my weekly farmers market trip. With onions on my mind, the purple and yellow bulbs wrapped neatly in their paper housing caught my eye when I approached the start of the market. Excited to find so many local onions, I felt the immediate need to fill my basket, in fear that a mad onion rush was on the brink of unfolding. Do I stop and buy onions or find my friend amongst the bustling crowd first? The rational side of my brain kicked in, and I stayed the course. Coming from opposite ends, we met in the middle, which coincidentally is where the market pups tend to congregate. I love seeing all the sweet four-legged friends out on the town mingling.
After we met up, we circled back to the onions before perusing the rest of the market. After all, if Victorian cakes can regain popularity, why not onion tarts? Onions are the second most-grown vegetable in the world, behind tomatoes. I filled my basket with large, yellow onions and picked up a variety of other produce (large-leafed rainbow chard, plums, broccolini, cilantro…) to be used in soups, side dishes, and for snacking.
When we finished scoping out the main drag, we darted down the side streets before heading out, which are filled mainly with artisan crafts, plants, vintage, and art. I picked up a few second-hand finds from The Bus Stop Vintage. Having both come from morning workouts, we were ready to head home. She went one way with her haul of fresh ingredients for carnitas, and I went the other with my beloved onions.
While I don’t look forward to the tear-inducing sulfur compounds that are emitted by onions when greeted by a knife, I am excited to finally make this savory tart that has delighted diners for centuries.
Onion tart review coming soon…
xx
stephanie
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