Today I went shopping at my local food co-op. It carries lots of locally grown fruit and vegetables. This time of year it is a little paradise. I bought these onions
and the young woman who was packing my bags asked me what they were. I said onions; that they hadn't cured yet. I guess because they didn't have an onion skin, she didn't recognize them. It probably means that her family has never grown onions and/or never bought them fresh from a farmers' market or the co-op. It struck me as very sad.
Gosh, that is sad! And aren't they just beautiful? We dug our shallots up recently and are very pleased with the large crop. I used to pickle them but we don't eat many of those these days so have found they freeze beautifully in bags and are then wonderful in stews, casseroles, risottos, whatever...
ReplyDeleteThat is exactly the size that my husband likes to eat. The whole onion family--basic!
ReplyDeleteOne time I bought some unshelled lima beans and the young woman had to ask me what they were and how would I cook them. It is sad, isn't it? And the onions are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteMary
She didn't grow up with grandparents like I had. I used to go out before breakfast and taste the onion tops (green onions) or the chives. It took me a while to figure out how my mother always knew I'd been munching on them. LOL
ReplyDeleteFunny that in spite of working there, the girl still didn't know what it was she was actually packing. One would think she's seen onions of that shape and size before.
ReplyDeleteThey look perfect! It's a great time at my parents' allotment right now, too; there is so much going on (also a lot of work for my Dad, but he enjoys it).
aren't they beautiful, and yes it is kind of sad that people don't know 'fresh' produce. The benefits of having a vege garden or visiting markets and farms :)
ReplyDeleteWow! It's crazy how few people have seen "real" food. Those onions look picture perfect.
ReplyDeletei have had this happen to me at the grocery. The young clerk would ask what kind of veggie I was buying... It is sad.
ReplyDeleteOdd that she couldn'tt recognize them as part of the onion family. They look divine. Fresh bread, salt.......
ReplyDeleteJaime Oliver had been going to schools and teaching kids how to eat better. Most of them didn't recognize many of the vegetables in their natural form. It's very sad.
ReplyDeleteAnn
Those are beautiful looking onions, I love to buy at Farmer's Markets.
ReplyDeleteThat is pretty sad; especially at a food co-op. I've had a few of these conversations at the check out. Then, there was the time I tried to self-check a cantaloupe, clueless as to how it worked, I kept pushing a button and rang up a $1,000 bill for one cantaloupe. The kid that helped me wasn't too happy. "Lady, this is going to take me hour to fix". Sigh.
ReplyDeleteYes, sad.......But now you've told her. Maybe it will spark more of an interest! I was so lucky to grow up with parents and grandparents who gardened with veggies as well as flowers! And all my family has that gene that always wants to try new fruits and vegetables.
ReplyDeleteApology if this a. Repeat. Trying to set up my new tablet. I've had many supermarket clerks who were clueless about produce, but I would expect more from co-op somehow. Especially an onion for heaven's sake. Your header shot ...speaking of produce...is fabulous¡
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised - I think it's pretty obvious what those are. But hey, everyone grows up differently, with different food touchstones. Hope you make something wonderful with those!
ReplyDeleteYou would think the striations towards the top of the bulb would have given it away. I was equally dismayed back in May when my 26-year old niece didn't now what a 'rivet' was.
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