05-18 Vidalia, Sweet Onion, Recipes

Arboretum-san sent Vidalia onion and its recipe’s pamphlet to Hiroko on May 18.

The couple of recipes and “the instruction of storage tip” from the pamphlet, published by Bland Farms, LLC, 1125 Raymond Bland Road, Glennville, Georgia 30427, 1-800-VIDALIA, www.BlandFarms.com, are posted in this blog.

This is recipes pamphlet.

This is Vidalia, Sweet Onion

This is the wrapped Vidalia onion as the instruction* in the pamphlet.

This is the Vidalia onion Arboretum-san sent Hiroko

Hiroko made 4 dishes from this Vidalia onion.

1．Stapleton Crab Salad from the pamphlet (for 4 people)

½ cup white wine vinegar

¼ cup sugar

Pinch salt

Pinch pepper

1 medium Vidalia onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 medium vine-ripe red tomato, diced

1 medium vine-ripe yellow tomato, diced

12 ounce fresh blue lump crabmeat, picked over to remove shell fragments

¼ cup virgin olive oil

4 scallions, thinly sliced

4 basil leaves, julienned

In a large bowl combine vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.  Add Vidalia onion and cucumber slices to vinegar mixture, toss to coat.  Marinate for 1 to 2 hours.  Add tomatoes, crabmeat, olive oil, scallions and basil.  Toss gently and season to taste.  To serve, divide salad among four chilled plates.  Makes four servings.

Hiroko didn’t use the crabmeat, because she didn’t have that, and there were chicken dish the night.  This salad for only Dan-san and Hiroko, so only 1/3 of the Vidalia onion was used, and all other ingredients were used less than mentioned in the recipe.

2．Vidalia Sweet Onion Bruschetta  from the pamphlet (for 4 people)

3 medium Vidalia sweet onions, peeled and thinly sliced

6 Roma tomatoes, cored and quartered

½ cup olive oil

Juice of one fresh lemon

11/2 tsp. dried Italian herbs

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Salt and pepper to taste

According the recipe, mix all the ingredient in a large microwave safe bowl and cook in the microwave until onions are tender. Serve with Italian bread

Hiroko cooked all the ingredients (1/2 of the mentioned) except lemon juice in the pan, and added lemon juice and 1 Tbsp. honey, and mixed well. 

There were no Italian bread, and Hot-Dog dinner the night, so Hush-Brown were served with this sauce instead of tomato ketchup.  Dan-san likes it.

3．Chicken Salad with Vidalia Sweet Onion (for 4 people)

1 cup macaroni, cook

1 set boneless and skinless chicken breast or 4 strips of chicken tenderloin, cook (by baking, steaming, broiling, pan frying with salt and black pepper) and dice ½ inch pieces

1 medium side Vidalia sweet onion, chop

2 stalk celery, chop

½ seedless cucumber, ½ inch dice

½ red pepper, ½ inch dice

½ green pepper ½ inch dice

1 apple, ¼ inch dice

½ cup walnuts

4 pieces mushroom, dice – optional

½ cup white cheese, ½ dice - optional

Sauce:  2 Tbsp Olive oil

            2 Tbsp vinegar or lemon

            Salt and pepper

            2 Tbsp mayonnaise - optional

Mix all this ingredients in a large bowl

4．Sandwich with Vidalia Sweet Onion and Tomatoes

This is the best sandwich said by Dan-san’s Uncle Jimmy-san who lives in Georgia

1 or 2 slice Vidalia onion as thick as you can take

1 slice tomato

½ tsp mayonnaise

Place this on the toasted bread, and eat.

Hiroko didn’t use mayonnaise and use one sliced bread.  This is the best way to eat Vidalia, sweet onion.

Thanks Arboretum-san for letting Dan-san and Hiroko to have all these delicious dish with Vidalia for a week.

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Hiroko would like to tell the history of Vidalia to Japanese people, so check the WikipediA, The Free Encyclopedia.  Here is the History mention in the Encyclopedia.

The onions were first grown near Vidalia, Georgia, in the early 1930s. It is an unusually sweet variety of onion, due to the low amount of sulfur in the soil in which the onions are grown.  Mose Coleman is believed to be the person who discovered the sweet Vidalia onion variety in 1931.

The Vidalia onion was named Georgia's official state vegetable in 1990.

Please go to the WikipediA for more information.

*The instruction for Storage Tips and Health Benefits from the Pamphlet

O The key to keeping Vidalia Sweet Onion fresh is to keep them in a cool, dry and separate space.

O Wrap onions individually in tissue paper, paper towel, or newspaper and store in refrigerator.  Be sure onions are dry before storing in paper.

O Place onions in the legs of sheer pantyhose.  Tie knot between each Vidalia.  Hang in cool, dry, well-ventilated area.  Cut above knot when you want one.

O To freeze, chops onion and place on a cookie sheet in freezer.  When frozen, remove and place in freezer containers or bags and seal.  Freezing changes the onion’s texture, so frozen onions should be used in cooking only.  Whole frozen Vidalia can be baked.

Health Benefits

O Great source of Vitamin C and quercetin

O Fat and Cholesterol free

O Low in sodium

O Excellent antioxidant

O Great dietary fiber

O Aids in cellular repair

Health Benefits:

o Great source of Vitamin C and quercetin

o Fat and Cholesterol free

o Low in sodium

o Excellent antioxidant

o Great dietary fiber

o Aids in cellular repair

Devon Church Leisure Group, Mic and Taro, Recipe – Tofu Noodle

2010 last Devon Church Leisure Group meeting was held on December 14. This group is consists mostly Senior Citizens, but couple of young people have been coming for the end-time Bible study.


Here are the photos of the people who are enjoying the Bible Study.

It is interesting to study for the future events in the Bible. However, before the lesson, Pastor warned us , “Do not study the future events in fun or for increasing the knowledge. Why are we studying the prophecies or revelation in the Bible, then? The answer is that making our daily lives better. Well, how can we make our lives better?”
“Because Jesus would be coming again, we have to prepare ourselves to meet Jesus Christ face to face.”
“What are the important things to do for preparing us?”
“Practice the love of God; love one another. Without knowing how Jesus loved us first we can’t love others. So, at first confirming our faith on Jesus Christ the Lord, and then practice His command “love one another” with His love.”
“Then, let’s start to study the future events, but please meditate how we can make our lives better with this study.”

After the Bible study everybody enjoyed doing the exercise led by one the members.

Chinese foods were ordered for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and for the year-end. Last year we ate the same Chinese food for the same occasion. There were Mic and Taro in the party and the foods were picked up Mic and Hiroko’s Dan-san.

This year, Hiroko had to go pick up the Chinese foods with Dan-san.
“Shall we ask Charlie for help to bring those foods?”
“Mic and I brought all those foods last year. We can do it without help.”
“Mic is much younger.”
“Well, let’s try.”
It was heavy 12 dishes plus 6 rice containers.”

Here are the photos of the Chinese takeout place.

Hiroko forgot to take the photo of those delicious Chinese foods because of busy eating.
This is the list of foods ordered for about 16 people:
8 Egg Roll – cut half, so 8 was enough for 16
2 dishes each of Chicken Lo Mein, Sweet and Sour Pork, Bean Curd Home Style, Chicken with Vegetables, Roast Pork with Broccoli, Beef with Snow Pea Pod
Almost all the foods were gone. Mic, do you remember the taste of this Chinese food?
Last year Mic, Taro and Hiroko went to the restaurant to test the foods before ordering the food.

Here is last year’s photo of Taro and the foods in the restaurant.
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Everyone loves the bean curd dishes for their health.
Here is the bean curd noodle recipe:

Bean curd noodle became much spongy in the soup, so this time fried it with 1 Tbsp oil.
Put fried noodle on the plate.

In the same frying pan, sauté any vegetables in the refrigerator cutting couple inches long. Hiroko used bean sprouts, celery, onion, green onion and shrimps. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Take the pan off the heat, and season the vegetables again with 1 Tbsp of mixture of the same amount of Oyster sauce, shoyu, sesame oil, and little sugar and vinegar.

Put the vegetables on top of the noodle, and garnish with vinegary ginger and sea-weed (nori)

Japanese Language Class Party, Self-Serving Sushi Recipe

Hiroko used to teach Japanese language 15 or 16 years ago for 2nd Generation of Japanese American. The class members have been met once or twice a year after the class was closed. What are those who are average 78 or 79 years old talking? Yes, we were also talking and sharing how to keep up good health. Many good tips about health were shared. At the end of this sharing everyone agreed that the exercise is the most important matter to keep up good health. Everyone are doing the good exercise: walking, line-dancing, bicycling, taichi, slow and muscle exercise, etc. It is amazing that no one spend any money for exercise. Some are attending at the Sr. Citizen Center.
　

Here is some photo of those members.
9 members were attending this luncheon party at this busy holiday season. It is sad to remember those five people who had passed away among us. Everyone remembered and talked about those five people for a moment. Some didn’t come because he has lost hearing and he didn’t want to make himself suffer to say wrong things. We were all shocked to hear that and realize our age. But everyone laughed and said that we all can’t hear well, forgetting things, can’t move well, but we like to live our life fully We’ll ask him to come next time..

These class members are all Christian, but belong to different denominations churches; Catholic, Methodist, Congregation, Presbyterian, and Independent, but having such a wonderful time loving each other as Christ commands us.

God Father loves human being and sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross to save each one of us from sin. Whosoever believes His love and Jesus Christ, will be saved. This is the way Jesus showed us the true love. With this true love if we love one another there will be peace and joy among the gathering.
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We always have self-serving Temaki Sushi lunch for the luncheon party.
Recipe of Self-Serving Temaki Sushi
4 cans Saka Kabayaki
1 can Salmon – Sauté salon with shoyu and sugar until the water is evaporated
5 Eggs – beat the egg with shoyu and sugar, and fry like paper thin one egg at a time, and
cut in long strips.
1 Cucumber – sliced 2” length
5 Avocado - sliced
10 Shiitake mushroom – cooked with sugar and shoyu, and sliced
2 or 3 bags Spinach or green beans – boil 2 or 3 minutes and squeeze water thoroughly
2 or 3 packages crab or lobster meat
2 or 3 packages Sea-weeds – cut in half
3 cups each brown and white rice – cook, and mix with 2 cups vinegar, 1 cup sugar, and salt
　

Everyone is bringing one or two items each, and place those on the table as photo.And then, make self-making Temaki sushi.
Put Nori flat
First put rice on Nori
Then, any of these items or all the items put on the rice and roll it, and eat.

With left over ingredients 10 rolls Futomaki may be made.

2010 Thanksgiving, Recipe - fried won-tan and turkey

Every year on the third Thursday of November Thanksgiving celebration day has always been coming, and then Christmas will be here any moment. One week later there is New Year.

At the 2010 Thanksgiving Worship Service, our Pastor preached that we should know from where we came and to where we go, and then we learned to give thanksgiving. We believed the human beings were made a man from dust and God breathed (spirit) into his nostrils, so by the spirit we understand our sins. From the sinful state we are saved by the blood of Christ. Only God’s love and grace we can become the righteous. Jesus shows the way to the heaven and promised us the eternal life.

After this good preaching Thanksgiving luncheon was held at the church basement. There were so many foods as usual. Hiroko’s 20 lb. turkey photo were posted below.

Here is the Hiroko’s family Thanksgiving dinner gathering at her daughter’s home:
　
Hiroko’s 10 lb. ham – it is very easy to prepare, because all American ham is precooked, so pour the pineapple juice over the ham and bake 30 minutes per pound. Hiroko did not clean the house or heavy cooking. Thanks to my daughter opening her home, and many thanks to Dave for cooking 25lb. turkey and extra turkey breasts to take home. It was very delicious meat, stuffing and gravy, and mashed potato.


Fried Won Tan for appetizer
1 lb. each of Ground beef and pork
1 bunch Green onion - chopped
1 tsp. each of salt, pepper, ginger
1 Tsp. Peanuts butter or sugar/honey
Mix well all the ingredients
Wrap the ingredients in Won Tan skin.
Fry in 1 inch oil over medium heat
Cabbage can be used



Appetizer and drink corner – Shrimps plate was new face this year.
Dinner was served at 6 pm. Even though we ate so many appetizers, we ate again all the very, very tasty dinner.
Desserts were homemade by Amanda – four different pies; pumpkin, apple, peach, mixed berries. It was not sweet, so we could eat. We all ate too much!








The Shearin family who has been coming to our Thanksgiving celebration every other year was here. Good to see them. There are couple of new comers, too. Total 22 people were there. May God bless richly to all these people. Thank you, Lord, let us love one another like you loved us.


Young people were enjoying the beer drinking flip-up games


Christmas cactus were blooming beautifully.
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Here is Hiroko’s 20 lb. Turkey

Fresh turkey and cooked turkey


Sliced 20 lb. turkey


Stuffing


Gravy

Turkey Recipe based on Hiroko’s mother-in-law
Ingredients:
20 lb.- Turkey
2 lb.- wheat Bread, dried over night and cut up ½ inch squares
1 - big onion, chopped
4-5 stalks - celery, chopped
1 bundle - parcely
Seasoning:
1 lb.- butter
1 cup – wine
2 tsp.- salt
2 Tbsp – black pepper, poultry seasoning
Turkey
Clean the turkey with water
Cook chopped liver and giblets in 1 cup water
Make Stock
with neck bone of turkey, 1 onion, 2 stalk of celery, 2 potatoes and stems of parcely
Make Stuffing
Sauté the onion and celery, and put half of seasoning in
Mix these stuffing with bread and cooked liver and giblets
Put aside of the stuffing
Stuffed Turkey
Place 1 stick butter, 1 cup wine and half of the seasoning in the turkey stomach and neck
Stuffed stuffing into the turkey stomach and neck
Tighten the turkey with thread and nail – while threading turkey put 2 sticks of butter place here
and there on turkey
Cover the turkey with foil tightly
Bake the turkey
with 250 degree oven for 10 hours and for browning the turkey skin, raise the temperature to 325 degree for last 2 hours
Making Gravy
Melt 1 stick butter and ½ cup of canola oil
Add 2 cups of flour and mix until dark brown
Pour the stock gradually in the browned flour
Seasoning the gravy with
1 tsp of each beef and chicken soup powder (salt for taste if necessary)
1 tbso black pepper and pinch of sugar
1 btl. ready made turkey gravy