Onion Johnny was the nickname given to the French farmers that used to sell onions door-to-door in England, Wales and Scotland. Dressed in striped shirt and beret, riding a bicycle hung with onions, the Onion Johnny became the stereotypical image of the Frenchman.



I love onions, always have done. I think they are value for money and the multitude of scrummy dishes that you can make out of them is endless. My Grandfather also loved his onions and ate a raw one every morning of his entire adult life stating that they had medicinal qualities. He was rarely ill but it was always wise to give him a little extra personal space in the mornings otherwise you would of been knocked out by his oniony whiff.

Downside of cooking with onions is that you have to peel them and chop em up and this leads to enevitable tears. There are many different solutions to this problem including putting a spoon in your mouth, wearing contact lenses, soaking the onions in water, chewing gum, sticking your tongue out, and (my personal favorite) wearing your kids swimming goggles to ensure an airtight seal around your eyes! None of em work - you just have to get used to the tears.

Today's recipe called for 2.5 Kg of finely chopped onions so I sharpened my knife and made ready the Kleenex .........

                                          Wednesday - Pissaladière

I filched this recipe from the book 'Simple French Cooking' book written by Georges Blanc and Coco Jobard. It involves making a dough base which is roughly 1.5cm thick and sweating the onions in a heavy based pan until they are translucent but not caramelized. Add the onions to the dough base and then place tomatoes, anchovies and black olives on top then place in a hot oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Was very yummy and there is a small bit left over for my lunch tomorrow. No sarky comments about the slightly darkish bits around the edge please, Raymond Blanc I ain't!