It seems to be rather unpoetical and unimportant to sing the praise of onions. Not at all are they ordinary, when they grow in tidy rows of purple and white with fresh tubular green leaves, sweet and waiting to grace any salad to give it zest, taste and health.
The truth is I love onions in my cooking. Not the old, self peeling, bitter monsters laying in untidy heaps at the green grocer's, which make your eyes burn and cry bitter tears over them...
To prove this tale and song of the fresh garden onion...look at these beautiful, . purple, spanish onions, fresh and appetizing. Ah, such a pleasure to go up into the kitchen garden and get one, fresher is not possible.
here the purple..
..here the white ones..
...and here. Aren't they worth a bit of poetry?
What are onions good for?
The total polyphenol content of onions is much higher than many people expect. (Polyphenols are one of the largest categories of phytonutrients in food. This category includes all flavonoids as well as tannins.) The total polyphenol content of onion is not only higher than its fellow allium vegetables, garlic and leeks, but also higher than tomatoes, carrots, and red capsicums.
Within the polyphenol category, onions are also surprisingly high in flavonoids. For example, onions rank in the top 10 of commonly eaten vegetables in their quercetin content. The flavonoid content of onions can vary widely, depending on the exact variety, growing conditions and freshness.
When we get quercetin by eating an onion-rather than consuming the quercetin in purified, supplement form-we may end up getting better protection from oxidative stress. In studies, the best protection came from the onion version of this flavonoid, rather than the supplement form.
With their unique combination of flavonoids and sulfur-containing nutrients, the allium vegetables—such as onions—belong in your diet on a regular basis. There's research evidence for including at least one serving of an allium vegetable—such as onions—in your meal plan every day.
Text/Photos my garden; Ts
