This week, I set about planting my backyard garden. The rule in our climate is to plant during Victoria Day weekend (more popularly known as May two four weekend - a two four is the colloquial name for a case of beer that comes in packs of 24 bottles.) Last year, our garden was modest. I wasn't sure what would grow because we have two very large & shady trees that act as a canopy over yard but found that we had modest success with a container garden. Our lonely tomato plant grew abundantly, our lettuce sprouted up so reliably that we had enough for salads all summer, and our little rhubarb came up scrawny but tasty (rhubarb, so I am told, takes three years to gain maturity so we're still waiting...)
This year, we have boldly decided to plant our tomatoes, lettuce and rhubarb again, but they will now be joined with Chioggia (candy stripe) beets, French breakfast radishes, and perhaps some Nantes carrots.
When I was growing up my mom grew loads and loads of green onions or scallions. They grew abundantly in our backyard and when my mom would prepare dinner, she'd ask us to bring a handful to her while we watched the Brady Bunch re-runs. We ate them all the time but I never grew tired of them. Though they still possessed some of the bite of regular onions (we never ate them raw unlike the snow peas that we would pick off during commercial breaks), they were really sweet when cooked. I loved them stir-fried and finished with a drizzle of sesame oil as well as mixed about with thin slices of tender beef.
When I stumbled upon this recipe on Serious Eats, I thought it was such a simple recipe and we could either grill it on a skillet inside or out on the grill in our backyard. Now, nothing says summer like cooking al fresco.
This recipe results in a flat bread that is reminiscent of Greek-style pita break (versus Middle-Eastern style.)
Green Onion Grilled Bread
Adapted from The Asian Grill by Corinne Trang
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 green onions, trimmed and finely sliced (white and light green parts)
1 cup spring or filtered water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
olive oil
1. Mix 2 cups of the flour, salt, and baking powder together into a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the water, the sesame and vegetable oils and the green onions. Work the flour in toward the center with a wooden spoon and stir to incorporate both dry and wet ingredients.
2. Turn the soft dough out into a floured work surface and knead, using some the remaining flour. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Wrap in plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
3. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Form into balls, then flatten them and roll out into disks. (You will need the additional flour to help you roll out the dough)
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brush the disks with olive oil and place oil-side down until lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Brush on oil on the other side and when the dough appears less gummy flip over and toast until golden. Serve immediately.
...Read more
Posts
