Oct. 30--This weekend marks the last of the outdoor farmers markets. But that doesn't mean Chicago-area cooks won't be able to find fresh, locally grown produce. Thanks to hoop houses and greenhouses, a large number of outdoor markets move to indoor locations during cold weather. (For markets in your area, check this list.)
Expect lots of root vegetables. All the beets, potatoes and carrots you can eat. Fresh microgreens and sturdy greens. And winter squash, apples and colorful onions.
Tamera Mark of Iron Creek Farm in La Porte, Ind., plans to show up for a couple of indoor markets. We caught up with her at the Logan Square Farmers Market, which moves to its indoor location Nov. 1.
Iron Creek's onion varieties give cooks a range of flavors and textures to work with. Reds work well in salads, including those with fruit. Mark says whites can be spicier and hotter than yellows. I like using white onions for their crisp character in fresh salsas.
And there are yellows, including a variety called Candy Sweet -- "it's sort of the Midwestern Vidalia," she says. Yellows are the go-to onions for many cooks for soups, stews and braises since the longer they cook the sweeter they become. As Mark told us: "The sugar content in the yellows gives you good caramelization."
Which is important if you're roasting onions, making French onion soup or this recipe for pasta with roasted eggplant, onions and tomatoes from the Tribune's Renee Enna. Another from the Tribune's files for pissaladiere (a classic that tops a simple crust with caramelized onions, anchovies and olives) comes from a 1999 "Weekend Cook" column by Abby Mandel, the late cookbook author and founder of the Green City Market (which moves indoors Nov. 7 to the Peggy Notebaert Museum at Stockton and Fullerton).
Provencal pissaladiere
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 34-37 minutes
Makes: 6-8 servings
Homemade pizza dough is preferred, but frozen dough is a great shortcut. If you prefer, omit the anchovies but add another 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the onions.
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon for edge of crust
3 large yellow onions, halved, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
2 tablespoons thinly sliced basil leaves
3/4 teaspoon salt (1 teaspoon for pizza made without anchovies)
Freshly ground pepper
2 medium tomatoes, seeded, coarsely chopped
1 pound frozen pizza dough, thawed according to package directions
12 cured black olives, pitted, halved
1 tin anchovies, rinsed, separated, blotted dry, optional
1. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions and oregano. Cook until hot, about 2 minutes. Put wax paper on onions (to sweat); cook 5 minutes. Remove wax paper; increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stir occasionally, until onions are very soft, about 15 minutes. Add basil, salt and pepper. Toss to mix. Set aside until cool. Toss in tomato.
2. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Roll thawed dough out on lightly floured surface into 15-inch-diameter circle, using more flour as needed. Allow dough to rest occasionally between rollings. Transfer to 15-inch-round pizza pan, sprayed with nonstick olive oil spray. Let dough rest until puffed slightly, about 15 minutes.
3. Spread dough with cooled onion mixture 1/4 inch from edge. Top with anchovies, if using, in radial design arranged from center point; dot olives between anchovies. Lightly brush edge of dough with remaining olive oil.
4. Bake until crisp, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating pizza back to front midway during baking. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Nutrition information per serving: 250 calories, 10g fat, 1g saturated fat, 34 calories from fat, 5mg cholesterol, 799mg sodium, 35g carbohydrates, 8g protein, 2g fiber.
