Harvest is in full swing around here. Farmers are working ’round the clock to get their crops out of the ground, which means time with Adam is rare.
My other friends who have agricultural minded husbands joke that this time of year we are “harvest widows” because we see so little of our men.
Adam is gone by 6-6:30 and home around 8, if he is lucky. But it doesn’t stop there. There are always late night phone calls from a client out in the field who has run into a little trouble… Or, my favorite call, the call that comes in before 6 AM.
This really does happen.
Farmers are traditionally early risers and very hard workers. And, another Farmer Tradition is that Sunday is a day of rest and even this is- mostly- honored during a busy harvest.
For us, Sunday’s in the fall are so special because they are slower than the jam packed weekdays and Adam is finally able to spend some time at home.
This is one of the main reasons we both love football Sunday’s.
The games are an excuse to take it easy and relax.
We could spend the day running around and try to get things done or we could try to squeeze in one more adventure, but rather we take a hands off approach to Sunday.
We stay at home. Chores (besides the animals) can wait. Dinner is done in the slow cooker. Snacks are out all day in case someone gets hungry before then.
And, nothing says “Classic Football Snack” like a good dip.
We rotate through a few favorites from week to week and one of those favorites capitalizes on one of our very hands off garden veggies: onions.
Onions should be planted as soon as the ground is warm enough to work in the early spring, but it still doesn’t get too cold at night.
So of course, for us, this past year the timing was great… (insert sarcasm here) and just one week before Theo was born, Adam and I planted two beds of onion sets.
They did great in the two beds of loose, compost rich soil. Towards the end of July we harvested 160 pounds of red, white and walla walla onions. We keep them in a cool, dark place in our basement and I have loved how handy it is to have them in the house.
Onions are often the base for many dishes, but in this football game day dip, they are the star.
Used fresh, fried and roasted, they bring a variety of flavor to this dip that is a spin on another classic, French Onion Soup.
- 4 medium yellow onions (2 quartered, 2 finely chopped)
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 sour cream
- 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Hot Sauce to taste
- 4 green onions, minced
- Pita Chips and/or raw veggies for dipping
- Heat oven to 425 degrees.
- Toss the quartered onions with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil on a foil lined baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast the onions until soft, about 45 minutes, turning occasionally. Set aside to cool.
- Place the cooled, roasted onions in the food processor and puree until smooth.
- Add mayo, cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, Worcestershire, hot sauce and salt and pepper to taste to the pureed onions and puree until smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set. (At least four hours, if not, overnight.)
- Heat four tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and add the finely chopped onions. Cook, stirring until they begin to brown, about ten minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown. (About 15 minutes)
- Transfer the onions to a strainer over a bowl to drain. Discard the oil and transfer the onions to a paper towel to drain more.
- To serve, stir in 2/3 of the fried onions to the dip mixture. Then, top with the remaining fried onions and green onions. Use pita chips and veggies for dipping.
Do you celebrate Football Sunday’s right and have a great tailgate? Be sure to enter the Colts Best Tailgate Contest! And, check out the other great recipes from Indiana bloggers while there!
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