 |
|
 We hope your onion harvests are going well! As your summer gardens are beginning to wrap up, we thought a recipe issue would be just what the cook ordered for August! We are offering a recipe from our famous Dixondale Farms Recipe Book and a few favorites that we have had great feedback on. See if you remember these recipes we have offered throughout the years.
As always, if you have onion growing, harvest, or storage questions, give us a call at (830) 876-2430. We'd be happy to help!
Enjoy your crop,
Bruce "The Onionman" and Jeanie
|
Our Favorite Onion Recipes
|
|
Kale-Crusted Pork Chops with Caramelized Onions and Oranges
Here's a great recipe we shared from Dr. Drew Ramsey's book!
This dish is superfood synergy. You've got the top source of thiamine for dinner, surrounded by all-star kale. Pork pairs well with sweet flavors like golden caramelized onions and juicy sweet oranges, plus you'll get a boost of Vitamin C and phytonutrients from these and the kale.
Patience is the key to caramelizing onions. Cook them slowly and lower the heat if they start to stick or burn around the edges.
Ingredients
 4 bone-in, pasture-raised pork chops- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 large kale leaves, stems trimmed, torn into pieces
- ¼ cup fresh rosemary needles
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Olive oil spray or mister
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 oranges, peeled and segmented
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
Place the pork chops on a baking sheet. Combine the garlic and ¼ teaspoon of the salt in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the kale, rosemary, and thyme and pulse until chunky. Spoon the kale mixture over the top of the pork chops. Spray or mist the tops of the chops with the olive oil spray and transfer to the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chops are no longer pink in the center and the kale coating has started to brown.
While the chops are baking, prepare the onions. Warm the
2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the onions. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Serves 4.
- 2 large yellow or white onions, peeled
- 2 tbsp. tomato juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp. honey
- 1 tbsp. butter or margarine
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. paprika
Cut onions in half crosswise and place, cut side up, in a baking dish. Combine remaining ingredients in saucepan on low until butter is melted; stir well. Pour over center of each onion half and bake at 350°F for one hour.
Vidalia Upside Down Cornbread 
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 3 large Vidalia onions, sliced 1/2 inch thick (or enough to cover the bottom of the pan)
- 3 (8 ounce) packages Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
- 1 teaspoon oregano, dried and crumbled
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a 13 x 9 pan, add melted butter and onion slices. Bake for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the muffin mix, egg, milk, sour cream, cheese, and salt. Remove the onions from the oven and add the cornbread mix over the top. Bake for 30 minutes until set and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean. Loosen the edges with a knife and invert on a serving plate. Allow to cool
slightly
before cutting into squares.
|
|
Dennis Basson has been a loyal customer from Oklahoma since 2012. Each year he shares his crop success with us. Pictured above is his 2017 crop of 1015s, Southern Belle Reds, and Texas Early Whites. His onions turned out great, and we wish him many more seasons of bountiful crops!
Thanks for sharing, Dennis!
Send Us Your Photos
We enjoy receiving photos from our customers, including those of award-winning Dixondale onions. We'd love to publish yours in an upcoming newsletter. Just e-mail your onion photos to
customerservice@dixondalefarms.com, along with a description and your city and state. You
may see one or more of your photos in a future newsletter, or even in our print catalog next year!
|
Can You Identify this Onion Disease?
Blue Mold Rot occurs most commonly during the harvest and storage phases.
Causes
Many species of Penicillium can cause blue mold. These fungi are common on plant debris and tissue. Invasion of onion bulbs and garlic is usually through wounds, bruises, or uncured neck tissue. Once inside the bulb, the fungus grows through the fleshy scales, eventually producing spores profusely on the surface of lesion and wounds. Optimum conditions for this disease to flourish include moderate temperatures of 70° to 77°F and relatively high humidity.
Identifying
Blue mold generally appears during harvesting and storage phases. Initial symptoms include water-soaked areas on the outer surface of scales. Later, a green to blue green, powdery mold may develop on the surface of the lesions. Infected areas of fleshy scales are tan or gray when cut. In advanced stages, infected bulbs may disintegrate into a watery rot.
Control
Avoid wounds and insect damage to bulbs. Harvest and handle onion bulbs using methods that minimize bruising and/or wounding; most importantly, promptly cure the bulbs so the necks are dry. Curing properly will ensure that your bulbs meet their full storage potential. Store bulbs at temperatures of 41°F or less with low relative humidity.
For harvest and storage tips, see past issues of Dixondale Farms newsletters here.
|
Harvest and Storage Aids
Once you've harvested your onions,
they'll need to be stored until you're ready to eat them. Here are a few products
that will help you keep them fresh.
 Onion Shears:
You can clip your onions like a professional onion harvester with these
shears
.
Ergonomically designed for quick and easy removal of roots and onion leaves, our shears also work on all other alliums, including garlic and our own Lancelot Leeks. They'll help ensure you enjoy your harvest for months by making it easier to prepare your onions for storage. $25.95
Mesh Netting: The best way to store onions is in
mesh netting
. Drop in an onion, tie a knot above it, drop in another, and continue until the netting is full. Hang the netting up in a cool, dry place, and your onions will stay fresh.
When you want an onion, cut below the lowest knot and take the onion that drops off. The nets are a great storage solution, as they keep onions well-ventilated, and disease (if any) can't travel from onion to onion.
$1.50 each or $1.00 each when you buy ten or more.
 Storage Bags: If you grow onions in quantity, like so many of our customers do, our orange mesh storage bags are ideal
-- especially if you're planning to sell your onions. The bags provide ventilation, and they're light but also strong. They're available in
three sizes
, with the 10 and 50 pound sizes recommended for larger producers.
You can purchase our
storage bags individually or in bulk. They're
$2.50 each, but if you buy ten or more, they're just $2.00 each. And as with all products at Dixondale Farms, we don't add shipping charges.
Onion Caliper: With this onion caliper tool, you can accurately determine the size of your crop:
Super Colossal: 4-1/4 inches and up
Colossal: 3-3/4 inches and up
Jumbo: 3 inches and up
Medium: 2-1/4 inches to 3-1/4 inches
Prepack: 1-3/4 inches to 2-3/4 inches
Boiler: 1 to 1-7/8 inches
We're selling this handy tool for $4.99. It's great to use at farmers' markets or for bragging rights with other onion growers!
|
|
Around the Farm
We're hard at work preparing for the 2018 onion season! It will be here before we know it, and there's lots of planning taking place now to ensure our customers receive the best onion plants available for future seasons.
The farm crew is breaking ground for planting to begin in late August while the packingshed crew is busy maintaining and updating our equipment and facilities. Our catalog is in the design phase so be sure to share your onion photos with us! Who know, you might just be featured in the 2018 Dixondale Farms catalog! Look for the 2018 Dixondale Farms catalog to hit mailboxes in mid-to-late October.
|
|
All Your Questions Answered
|
| We have answers to your frequently asked questions! Just click the link for information on planting, caring, feeding, harvesting, and storing onions.
And be sure to review our short videos on Facebook. Topics range from fertilizing and dealing with cold weather to how onion plants are harvested. You can view these videos even if you don't have a Facebook account. |
As the largest and oldest onion plant farm in the U.S., Dixondale Farms offers a wide selection of top-quality, disease-free, ready-to-plant onion plants. To see our complete product line or get growing tips and cultural information, visit our
Web site
.
New customer? Request your 2018 catalog
here.
We're available from 8:15 AM to 5:00 PM CT at 830-876-2430, or e-mail us at
customerservice@dixondalefarms.com
.
Whether you're planting one bunch or thousands of acres, we're committed to your success.
|
 We invite you to join the community on our
Facebook page
. You can connect with us and fellow growers to share stories, photos, recipes, weather information, and other tips.
 Don't forget to subscribe to our
YouTube channel! Our videos will guide you on selecting the right onion variety, applying fertilizer, the best weed control options, and more.
 We're on Pinterest too. Check out
our Pins
which include photos covering small space onion gardens, tasty onion recipes, planting tips, and more.
 You can also join us on
Instagram, a photo community where we're sharing even more Dixondale photos.
|
|
|
|
|
|
