How to Cook with Wild Green Onions

Every spring, the first thing to grow in the lawn are the pesky wild onion grasses. They grow at triple the rate of the grass and make the lawn look shabby. However, there are still people who remember looking forward to spring and foraging for these super hardy plants. If was quite nostalgic to go out in the fields and side yards where the onions could grow larger, pull them up gently but firmly with the bright white bulb emerging from the soil. Some plants get to be three to four feet high and could fill a basket quickly. It is hard to mistake them as they have a strong and distinctive blend of garlic and onion smell.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Prepare the onions for use. Wash the dirt off the bulb thoroughly. Peel back the last layer of skin down and over the root bulb. Trim off the little roots and clip any dry ends from the green stems. Place a bunch on the cutting board and chop finely with a sharp knife.
2. Fry up some bacon, drain off the fat and add a bunch of chopped wild onions. Saute for a few minutes and then add a few eggs and scramble. Salt and pepper to flavor. Serve with a little hot sauce and rye toast.
3. Melt a little butter in a saute pan and add some crab cakes. Sprinkle a good hand full of chopped wild onions over and continue cooking until crab cakes are done. Plate and scrape the onions over the crab cakes. Add sauce and garnish and serve.
4. Make a wild onion chowder by sauteing a bit of finely chopped bacon until crisp. Add a good handful of wild green onions and about a cup of chopped potatoes and stir. Add a tablespoon or so of flour, a teaspoon of salt and stir well. Add a few cups of milk and stir, scraping the bottom. Cover and cook on low until potatoes are tender. Any white fish or shrimp can be added as well as a handful of sweet corn kernels. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve with a grating of cheese on top and a chunk of sourdough bread.
5. Use chopped wild onions for flavor in soups, omelets, quiche, tomato sauces, chilis, potato salad, or marinades. It is stronger flavored than chives or green onions from the grocery store. Chopped wild onions can be frozen for later uses but will be limp when thawed. Wild onion pesto is a wonderful concoction of wild onions, garlic, salt and olive oil.