Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Waiter, there is something in my ... roasted onions with blue cheese



Indeed. Who would have thought that the Reigning Queen of Braai, Jeanne of Cook Sister, would choose a meatless barbecue for the 8th round of Waiter, there is something in my ... foodblogging event? But meatless she chose, and I'm happy to oblige. Although we're by no means vegetarian, we don't eat much meat in our house. If faced with a rich meaty stew and a slightly lighter vegetable stew, we'd most likely opt for the later..

I decided to roast some onions. My logic was following: if my vegetable dish was to have any chances against all the roasted, grilled and barbecued meat at the braai or grilliõhtu, then it needed to be strong and bold and flavoursome. A combination of roasted onions and my current favourite blue cheese (yes, I am still raving about the Finnish Valio Aura blue cheese), and some potent herbs - thyme and savoury - would be surely shining. The onions (the white ones are famous local Peipsi sibulad or from the traditional onion-growing areas alongside Lake Peipus, the fifth-largest lake in Europe) sweeten up while roasting, nicely complemented by the potent cheese. I used thyme for red onions and savory for white onions, but I don't think there're hard rules for that..

Enjoy!

Roasted onions with blue cheese
(Röstitud sibulad sinihallitusjuustuga)



Onions, medium-sized
Blue cheese (I used Valio Aura)
Fresh thyme or savory

Peel the onions, cut off a small slice from the top & bottom and then cut in half cross-wise. Place onion halves on a piece of foil, cover with a slice of blue cheese and some herbs.
Fold into parcels, so the steam wouldn't escape, and cook on your BBQ for about 20-25 minutes, until onions are softened and cheese melted.
Alternatively, roast in a very hot oven (say 250 C) instead.



Serve as an accompaniment to grilled meat, or on its own with chunks of good bread.

Here are links to my previous Waiter there is something in my ... entries:
July 2008 (SAUCES):
Munakaste alias my grandma Senta's egg & smoked ham sauce.
June 2007 (DUMPLINGS):
Vareniki dumplings with curd cheese filling, served with home-made apricot jam & pistachios.
May 2007 (STUFFED VEGETABLES):
Stuffed tomatoes with two types of salad - cod liver salad & cucumber and wild garlic salad.
April 2007 (BREAD): a traditional Estonian quick mushroom bread,
Seenekarask.
March 2007 (EASTER BASKET): a selection of various
Easter delights.
February 2007 (PIE): a great Russian puff pastry and fish pie,
Salmon Kulebyaka.
January 2007 (STEW): my version (in collaboration with Anthony Bourdain:) of the French classic
Boeuf Bourguignon.

16 comments:

K and S said...

mmm great combination!

lobstersquad said...

I´d have thought the cheese would melt too soon, but it looks fantastic.

Kalyn Denny said...

Looks quite delicious!

Anonymous said...

Sounds delicious Pille! What a great combination and so easy to make too :)

Your first photo is sooo pretty! I love it! :)

Unknown said...

Beautiful photos and it sounds wonderful!

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Yee gods, this is on my table tonight!

Jeanne said...

What a wonderful combination - and a far cry from the onions in foil that I remember from braais in my youth. The whole onion, skin and all, would be tossed into the coals, wrapped in foil. By the tiem it was done, you had to peel away the scorched skin and outer layers to get to the sweet, soft flesh inside. Delicious, but yours are far more sophisticated!

Figs, Bay, Wine said...

How fabulous! That's exactly what I want this time of year as the evenings turn slightly (ever so slightly) less humid and sticky. I've been using savoury a lot lately and really enjoy it. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!

Honeybee said...

Nice!! It just reminded me that I had a pasta dish with caramelized onions and blue cheese in mind. The combination of the onions and the blue cheese sounds delicious.

Anonymous said...

Hmm interesting combination. hHow was it? I am not sure if I am brave enough to bite into that, but then I am still ignorant when it comes to food.

Wendy said...

So simple and yet I'm drooling shamelessly!

Meeta K. Wolff said...

Pille! I can imagine what wonderful flavors this has. Onions and bluecheese. I have not tried it yet - but I hope the next BBQ to give it a try!

Anonymous said...

Brie on top of garlic halves is just as good, with a nutty flavor. You knew exactly what to do with an overgrown squash. Are you the same creative when it comes to deal with white asparagus (The Asturian type)? I hope so, and I look forward to read your ideas on it!

thepassionatecook said...

oh yes! i'll have some of those! it looks like the bbq season here is well and truly over, but i am sooo making this next year!
x

Nikki said...

I made this recipe as part of our Labor Day barbecue, except that I used Vidalia (sweet) onions, and the combination was fantastic. Thanks so much for posting that!

Pille said...

K&S - I quite agree :)

Lobstersquad - I guess the foil protects the cheese?

Kalyn - thanks!

Joey - thank you! (PS I've now swapped the other two photos for better ones, too:)

Garrett - thank you! Taking nice photos is more difficult now that our long summer days are getting swapped for shorter autumn days..

Tanna - did you enjoy this?

Jeanne - I guess blue cheese 'sophisticates' many dishes, including onions :) Thanks for a great WTISIM theme!!!

Figs Olives Wine - I only discovered savoury early this summer, and I'm happy to see it thrives on my windowsill..

Honeybee - mmm, I love the idea of caramelised onions & blue cheese alongside pasta!

Mainyacha - there's nothing brave about that combination, so I urge you to try it a.s.a.p.!

Wendy - that's perfectly acceptable :)

Meeta - I have made them twice already - a great, easy & satisfying dish!

Mariac - i've never tried that, but it certainly sounds delicious. Sadly, I've got no clue about white asparagus, but check out my friend Johanna's blog - she's bound to have some great ideas!

Johanna - you can easily make & eat these indoors to accompany sausages, for example:)

Nikki - thank you for telling me, and I'm glad you liked them! I've never tried Vidalia onions myself, though I keep reading about them in various blogs..