it's an onion weed world, and we're just living in it
hail to the onion weed - three super duper recipes to get you foraging and feasting this October
live laugh love… it’s onion weed season!
I’ve spoken in the past about my unparalleled love for spring as my favourite season, and with the arrival of daylight savings this past weekend, after just one week of long light evenings I’m already feeling my mood lift: recharged and ready to go from its winter hibernation.
On Monday I walked home from work, 5.44pm through the door and straight away hopped in the car with Beau the greyhound out to our favourite local beach. After an hour of walkies, beach runs, near miss sea lion confrontations and ocean frolicking, the sun was still smiling at us from the sky. My what a difference it makes.
For me, the anticipation of spring feeling fully present (which I argue doesn’t happen until October!) has been lingering for many weeks now. There’s a multitude of changes in the nature around me, primarily in the flora, that triggers this joyful sense of spring anticipation for me. And one of these is seeing the long, linear, fleshy green leaves of the onion weed that begin to pop up and dominate the borders of garden beds and the undergrowth of urban forests. Released from their dormancy, having been kept silent since the Summer before.
It is then around early-mid September that their bell-shaped white flowers have appeared, and since I first spotted them I’ve been waiting desperately for full blown onion weed season to announce itself, to share some new onion weed-inspired recipes with my newsletter whānau. Thank goodness that time has arrived!
Full disclaimer, this is not the first newsletter I’ve written that’s featured onion weed in it, as around this time last year I did an edition focused on spring foraging, with recipes that utilised foraged magnolia petals and wild onion weed. But there’s a whole lot of new arrivals to to the newsletter whānau since then, so for those who are new to or less familiar with onion weed, I thought I’d give a brief run down of what it’s all about.
Onion Weed, not to be confused with related Wild Onion or Wild Garlic, is a grass-like perennial that springs into life around September, identifiable by its white drooping bell-shaped flowers and long, thin, straight leaves. It tends to like growing in relatively damp, shady environments, and can often be found at the ends of abandoned gardens, near streams, or at the edges of urban woodland areas.
Onion Weed can be treated like spring onion in cooking ~ the bulb, stem, leaves and flowers are all edible and carry a flavour similar to onion/garlic (hence the name). Perfect for tossing through stir-frys, blitzing into pesto, using as a base for soups/pastas, mixing into fritters, or coating in a tempura batter to quickly fry.
Essentially, what I recommend at this time of year is to abandon purchasing anything in the realm of spring onions, and instead do some foraging in your local radius to see if you can spy some onion weed that’s ripe for the picking. Follow from the flowers down to the base of the stem and pull up the entire plant, as you would a spring onion from the ground, bulb and all. I acknowledge that depending where in Aotearoa you live, the supply of wild onion weed may be variable. I can’t remember it being especially prominent in the dryer climate of Hawke’s Bay, for instance, whereas it’s everywhere you look in Ōtepoti right now.
what can I cook with onion weed?
As I mentioned above, onion weed can be used just as you would spring onion, while being mindful of it’s more pungent garlicky flavour. In the new onion weed recipes I’m sharing with you this week, I’ve opted to simply char the onion weed in a hot cast iron pan for a few minutes. This helps to gently soften the onion weed, which adds to its sweetness and reduces any potential bitterness, while the charring also adds flavour. You don’t need to oil the pan or anything, so this really is the simplest way to cook it. Equally though, it can be used fresh as you would a spring onion (I often reach down, snip a stem off, and munch away on it as I’m walking Beau the greyhound around the neighbourhood). It’s great in salads, wraps, with avocado on toast, added with ginger and garlic to hot oil to make an aromatic perfect for drizzling over soups and salads as a flavour boost.
One of the recipes I shared last year, which is still a favourite way to cook with onion weed, is my Wild onion weed bhajis with date, soy + tamarind chutney. I received the nicest message ever (thanks Alex) to hear that a group of school kids in Te-Whanganui-a-Tara had made this dipping sauce in their Garden to Table session, and apparently were eating it with a spoon they loved it so much! If that’s not reason to try this recipe, then I don’t know what is.
Every year or two, most Aotearoa media outlets also remember just how darn useful and delicious onion weed is and share a few ideas with how to cook with it… here’s a couple of links if you’re keen to read some more about it:
For this year’s onion weed edition (I can foresee that if this newsletter continues for perpetuity, onion weed week is probably going to remain an annual occurrence), I’ve aimed for recipes that use flavours I feel compliment the natural savoury garlic flavour of the onion weed, while keeping it simple, plant-based and most importantly delicious. If you’re cooking onion weed for a crowd (ie your next dinner party), then you can’t go past my Charred onion weed with cashews, curry leaves & gochujang ripple labneh (recipe below). And if it’s more Friday night snacking onion weed vibes you’re looking for, then my recipe for Onion weed, triple herb & avo dip, paired with my homemade lemon, miso & poppy seed crackers will be your everything. It’s an onion weed partay!!!!!!!! But equally, just chop and through them into anything and everything at this time of year (as far as I’m aware there is no great harm that will come to you from excess onion weed consumption - trust me, I’m quite experienced in this matter!).
Best of the season this fortnight (NZ):
Citrus - late lemons, grapefruit, oranges
Early asparagus
Avocados
Early spring beans & peas
Brassicas (broccoli, caulis, cabbages)
Hardy greens - cavolo nero, silver beet, kale
Beetroot
Carrots
Early strawberries
Spinach
Spring onions
Onion weed
Brain food:
further research on the impacts of metabolism & diet on our mood - flipping the script on how we view mood disorders. Watch this space! (thanks aunty Mon for sharing with me)
For when you’re next dining out in Wellington… on a good day…
Forget food foraging… what about ‘Sense Foraging’ to promote mental wellness, have a read.
Important research to start soon, looking at whether current Aotearoa New Zealand food policies promote healthy, sustainable diets
If there’s one onion weed recipe to make this spring, this is it!!
One last reminder that the onion weed foraging season is a fleeting one, so make the most of it - you don’t want to end up in November crying into your onion weed-less pie with onion weedy regrets now, do you.
It’s also time to start casting your eyes about for the first signs of elderflower, little white heads popping up from their green foliage… my goodness I love spring! Here’s to long nights and laughs ahead.
Much love,
Alby xx
Charred onion weed with cashews, curry leaves & gochujang ripple labneh
We all know how much I love a sharing plate, especially one that’s layered with texture, tang and tonnes of flavour. This recipe follows the three-layer concept I share in my cookbook Good Vibes, where the anatomy of a sharing plate is broken down into the ‘base’, the ‘body’ and the ‘lift’. Here, a thick, creamy labneh is swirled with a flavour bomb gochujang sauce to form the base, with charred onion weeds as the body and crunchy cashews & curry leaves as the final ‘lift’. Perfect for your next spring sharing spread, while onion weed season is hot!
Hands-on Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes (plus overnight for the labneh)
serves 6 as a side
Cost Estimate: $12 (if using foraged wild onion weed)
Ingredients
300g wild onion weed (about 12), ends trimmed
1 tbsp canola oil
100g roasted salted cashews
20 curry leaves
1 tsp maple syrup
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 large handful fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
Gochujang ripple labneh
500g unsweetened Greek yoghurt (unsweetened Greek-style coconut yoghurt if vegan)
½ tsp sea salt
1 tbsp gochujang
2 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
finely grated zest of ½ lemon
Method
Prepare the labneh the day prior. Place the yoghurt and sea salt in a bowl and mix to combine. Line a sieve with doubled cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Pour the salted yoghurt into the cheesecloth, fold the corners over to cover and place a gentle weight on top (e.g. a mug or block of butter). Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours (or up to 3 days) to allow some liquid to strain from the yoghurt.
The next day, for the gochujang ripple, in a small bowl whisk together the gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, ginger and garlic until well combined; set aside - you will use this to swirl through the labneh when serving. Remove the yoghurt from the fridge, bring the corners of the cheesecloth together and holding it over a sink, twist to squeeze out any extra liquid. Transfer the thickened yoghurt (labneh) to a bowl, add the lemon zest and whisk until smooth; set aside.
Place a large frying pan over high heat. You want it really hot. Cut the onion weed in half horizontally, so that it can fit in the pan. Add half the onion weed to the hot pan, arranging in a single layer. Cook for about 5 minutes, turning once or twice, until softened and nicely charred in places. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining onion weed.
Leave the frying pan to cool for a couple of minutes off the heat, then return over medium heat with the canola oil. Once hot, add the cashews, curry leaves and turmeric to the pan. Cook for a minute, tossing to coat the cashews evenly with the turmeric. Drizzle over the maple syrup and fry for a further minute or two, tossing through to coat, until the curry leaves are crispy and cashews starting to turn deeply golden in places. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Add the coriander and toss through.
To serve, spoon the labneh onto the base of a large serving platter, spreading it out into a large disc with the back of a spoon. Drizzle over the gochujang mixture, and use the back of the spoon to swirl and ripple it through the labneh. Arrange the warm charred onion weed on top and scatter over the turmeric cashews and curry leaves. Serve immediately.
Alby’s Advice:
Use Greek-style coconut yoghurt (I like the Raglan brand) to make this vegan
Feel free to roast and salt your own cashews for this recipe (as I often do) - for convenience though you can use ready salted/roasted cashews.
Use spring onions as a substitute for wild onion weed, if it’s out of onion weed season or it doesn’t grow in your local area.
Onion weed, triple herb & avo dip
Love love love that it’s avocado season in Aotearoa again. This dip is a great creamy number, with the richness of avocado and sour cream/yoghurt proving a solid combo with soft spritely herbs and a bit of zing and punch from the lemon and chilli. The perfect canvas to show off the wonder of onion weed. If you’re in the mood to make your own homemade crackers, my Lemon, miso & poppy seed crackers (recipe below) makes a crackin’ pair with this dip.
Hands-on Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
serves 8-10 as a dip
Cost Estimate: $12.50
Ingredients
300g wild onion weed (about 12), ends trimmed
200g sour cream or yoghurt (use coconut yoghurt if vegan)
flesh of 2 large ripe avocados
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
40g fresh coriander (stalks and leaves)
20g mint leaves
20g flat-leaf parsley leaves
4 cloves garlic, chopped
50ml + 2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp sea salt
1 long green chilli, sliced thinly
Method
Place a large frying pan over high heat. You want it really hot. Cut the onion weed in half horizontally, so that it can fit in the pan. Add half the onion weed to the hot pan, arranging in a single layer. Cook for about 5 minutes, turning once or twice, until softened and nicely charred in places. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining onion weed.
Place the sour cream (or yoghurt), avocado, lemon zest, lemon juice, coriander, mint, parsley, garlic, 50ml olive oil and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Blitz to form a herb-flecked, relatively smooth dip. Take two thirds of the charred onion weed and roughly chop. Add to the food processor and pulse a couple of times to mix through the dip - you want the onion weed to keep some texture. Transfer the dip to a wide serving bowl. Using the back of a spoon, spread out to cover the bowl, with a well in the middle. Arrange the remaining onion weed in the well. Place the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the sliced chilli and leave to bubble for a minute or two until the chilli is fragrant and turning golden. Pour the warm chilli and oil over and around the onion weed and dip. Serve with your favourite crackers for dipping.
Alby’s Advice:
Use Greek-style coconut yoghurt to make this dip vegan.
Be sure to blitz the onion weed through the dip enough that it’s mixed nicely through but retains some texture.
Feel free to adjust the ratios of herbs that you use based on what you have on hand. You can equally use lime zest/juice instead of lemon, also.
Lemon, miso & poppy seed crackers
This is my first foray into crackers, loosely inspired by an Anna Jones cracker recipe from her 2015 cookbook A Modern Way to Cook, which opts for rolled oats and chia seeds that act as a binding agent when the water is added (ie no flour, egg etc. is needed here!). I’ve decided to amp up the flavour by using miso and lemon, plus adjusted some of the other ratios and components to balance it all out. These are certainly moreish crackers - great to have on hand for when dipping or platters are required at short notice.
Hands-on Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
makes 2 large trays of crackers
Cost Estimate: $15 (cheaper if you use rolled oats instead of quinoa flakes)
Ingredients
150g quinoa flakes
150g larger seeds (e.g. pumpkin, sunflower, or a mix)
75g buckwheat
75g chia seeds
75g poppy seeds
2 tbsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
50g Shiro (white) miso paste
50ml olive oil
100ml lemon juice
flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Method
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan-forced (or 180°C conventional). Line two large oven trays with baking paper.
Place the oat flakes, pumpkin/sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, chia seeds, coriander seeds and lemon zest in a large bowl. Toss together with a spoon to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk the miso paste with 50ml boiling water to dissolve. Add the olive oil, lemon juice and 150ml cold water to the miso, whisking to combine. Pour the liquid into the seed mixture and mix to evenly coat the dry ingredients with the liquid. Leave for 10 minutes, to allow the chia seeds and oats to soften with the liquid and bind everything together.
Tip the mixture out onto the two lined oven trays, half on each. Using your hands, spread the mixture out to as thin as possible, about 3-4mm thick, ensuring an even thickness. Sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt and bake for about 45-50 minutes, swapping the trays at halfway, until firm, crisp and deeply golden. Remove from the oven, leave to cool fully, then break into crackers. Store in an airtight container.
Alby’s Advice:
Be sure to spread out the crackers nice and thin (otherwise the crackers will be too soft and bendy). Also ensure the centre is baked through fully and firm/crisp before removing from the oven. If you’re worried the crackers aren’t going to crisp up completely in the middle, when you swap the trays at halfway, you can flip each cracker spread upside down, peel off the baking paper and bake bottom side up for the remaining time.
I’ve opted for quinoa flakes to keep these crackers gluten free, but you could use oat flakes or fine rolled oats as an alternative. They are also vegan!
Also feel free to mix up the types of seeds you use in these crackers - eg black or white sesame seeds, linseeds etc. Just ensure you keep the quinoa flakes (or rolled oats) and chia seeds the same, as they absorb the moisture to hold the crackers together.
Kia Ora Alby, it was so nice to meet you at Shan's party recently! I've been looking at the onion weed I pass each day on my way to work and wondering what to do with it, so thank you for sharing these ideas, they look gorgeous.