Shallots

Season: Spring/ Summer

Storage: Shallots are easily stored and typically last longer than most vegetables. We recommend that you store them in a hanging basket or in a plastic bag.

Other Names: There are multiple types of shallots these include French Grey, French Red, Frog’s legs, and Ambition shallots.

Fun Facts: Shallots look like smaller, skinnier onions and taste like onion & garlic had a baby. In fact, shallots are from the same families as Lillies! Tombs from ancient Egypt were filled with fields of garlic paintings. It is believed that they were brought into India from Southeast Asia, then moved into Persia, then to Egypt. People typically associate shallots with European dishes, but it was not brought into Europe until the 11th century crusaders tried it in the Middle East. Its strong flavor has caused it to be used for a variety of health benefits and medicinal practices historically, and currently. It remains a staple flavor internationally. They can be used similarly to their larger onion cousins by roasting, sautéing, or frying – and their milder taste shines when prepared raw into a vinaigrette or cooked into a sauce.

Get local shallots by joining our Farm Share or shopping at farmer’s markets, then share your favorite preparations through our Facebook page.

Caramelized Shallot Pasta

From Cooking New York Times by Allison Roman

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • 6 large shallots, very thinly sliced

  • 5 garlic cloves, 4 thinly sliced, 1 finely chopped

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste

  • 1 (2-ounce) can anchovy fillets (about 12), drained

  • 1 (4.5-ounce) tube or (6-ounce) can of tomato paste (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup)

  • 10 oz of pasta

  • 1 cup parsley, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped

  • Flakey Sea Salt

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium high. Add shallots and thinly sliced garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots have become totally softened and caramelized with golden-brown fried edges, 15 to 20 minutes.

  • Add red-pepper flakes and anchovies. (No need to chop the anchovies; they will dissolve on their own.) Stir to melt the anchovies into the shallots, about 2 minutes.

  • Add tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly to prevent any scorching, until the tomato paste has started to cook in the oil a bit, caramelizing at the edges and going from bright red to a deeper brick red color, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer about half the mixture to a resealable container, leaving the rest behind. (These are your leftovers to be used elsewhere: in another batch of pasta or smeared onto roasted vegetables, spooned over fried eggs or spread underneath crispy chicken thighs.)

  • To serve, cook pasta according to package instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water until very al dente (perhaps more al dente than usual). Transfer to Dutch oven with remaining shallot mixture (or a skillet if you are using the leftover portion) and 1 cup pasta water. Cook over medium-high heat, swirling the skillet to coat each piece of pasta, using a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any bits on the bottom, until pasta is thick and sauce has reduced and is sticky, but not saucy, 3 to 5 minutes.

  • In a small bowl, combine parsley and finely chopped garlic clove, and season with flaky salt and pepper. Divide pasta among bowls, or transfer to one large serving bowl, and top with parsley mixture and a bit more red-pepper flakes, if you like.

Corn Sambhar

From Tarla Dalal  by Tarla Dalal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup grated sweet corn cob

  • 1 tbsp oil

  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

  • 5 curry leaves

  • pinch of asafoetida

  • 1/2 cup potato cubes

  • 1/2 cup shallots

  • 1 1/2 tbsp sambhar masala

  • Salt to taste

  • Chopped coriander (for garnish)

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a broad non-stick pan and add the mustard seeds

  • When the seeds crackle, add the curry leaves and asafoetida and sauté on a medium pan for a few seconds

  • Add the potatoes, add the shallots and 1 1/2 cups of water and cook on a medium flame for 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft, while stirring occasionally

  • Add the sambhar masala, mix well and cook on medium flame for 1 minute

  • Add the corn, salt and 1 1/2 cups of water, mix well and bring to a boil

  • Serve hot with coriander

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