Vidalia Victuals WINNER!

I'm happy to announce the winner,
selected by you dear readers,
of the first annual Vidalia Victuals Contest.

Cooks Like a Champion
Caramelized Vidalia Onion and Goat Cheese Grits!!

Congratulations, Courtney!

Courtney's recipe got 217 out of the 719 votes cast in the contest, making her the winner of our Vidalia Onion Prize Package!!!

I must say, the hubs and I really loved this recipe. We even ate the leftover grits underneath some grilled shrimp for dinner the next night, with some corn on the cob on the side. It was pretty freaking awesome . . .

To see the results of all our wonderful entries, please click here.

I'd like to thank everyone who submitted recipes, who drooled over our finalists' creations, and who voted in this fun contest.

I also appreciate the support received from the Vidalia Onion Committee in beefing up our prize package with some fun Vidalia items! I encourage you all to check out the Sweet Times Recipe Contest being hosted by the Vidalia Onion Committee. Entries are being accepted through August 14, 2009, and they are giving away some big cash prizes!

Vidalia Victuals Finalist #10: Vidalia Onion and Tomato Pie

Vidalia Onion and Tomato Pie
Submitted by Tasha of Life as I know it . . . is just beginning

1 prepared pie crust
One large Vidalia onion, halved and thinly sliced
One large tomato, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 palm full herbes de provence
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Gently place prepared pie crust in a deep dish pie plate.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Carefully transfer to the pie dish.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.

Vote using the poll in the right-hand column. Thanks!

Vidalia Victuals Finalist #9: Vidalia Onion Casserole

Vidalia Onion Casserole
submitted by Mrs. G of The Givens Chronicles

5 large Vidalia onions, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
12 Ritz crackers

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Apply cooking spray to a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, and cook, stirring until tender - about 7-10 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream and parmesan cheese. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and crumble the Ritz crackers on top.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until top is browned and sauce is bubbly. Serve immediately.

Vote using the poll in the right-hand column. Thanks!

Vidalia Victuals Finalist #8: Caramelized Vidalia Onion Dip

Vidalia Onion Dip
submitted by Kathy W.

1/2 cup butter or margarine
4 large Vidalia onions - peeled, halved and sliced
16 ounces of shredded swiss cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add the shredded cheese and toss until it melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a small crock pot or a bowl and serve with crackers, pretzels, or veggies.

Vote using the poll in the right-hand column. Thanks!

Vidalia Victuals Finalist #7: Vidalia Onion and Mushroom Pie

Vidalia Onion and Mushroom Pie
submitted by Sue from The per Sue of Happiness

3 tablespoons butter
3 Vidalia onions, one diced and two quartered
1 lb. small mushrooms
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons sherry
1 cup heavy cream
2 egg yolks, beaten (whites reserved)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 sheet frozen puff pastry

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grease a pie dish and set aside.

In a large skillet over low heat, melt the butter and cook all the onions, occasionally shaking the pan. Then add the mushrooms, turning them frequently. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 2 more minutes. Finally, drain the onions and mushrooms or use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a deep pie dish.

Next, raise the heat to medium on the skillet and add the sherry. Mix contents well and then pour over onions and mushrooms.

In a small bowl, mix the cream, egg yolks, nutmeg, and paprika. Add salt to taste and pour the mixture into the pie dish over the veggies. Gently roll the puff pastry over the pie dish. Decorate the edges and pinch them to the pie dish. Use a knife to cut a slit in the center of the dough. Brush with reserved egg white.

Vote using the poll in the right-hand column. Thanks!

Vidalia Victuals Finalist #6: Caramelized Vidalia Onion and Goat Cheese Grits

Caramelized Vidalia Onion and Goat Cheese Grits
submitted by Courtney of Cook Like a Champion

2 tablespoons butter
1 large Vidalia onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
3 cups water (or amount specified by grits package directions)
1 cup quick-cooking grits (not instant)
2 ounces fresh goat cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add butter and swirl to coat. Add onions. Cover and allow the onions to cook for about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions reach a deep, golden brown color. This should take about 25 minutes, depending on how thin you slice your onion.

Remove the onion and add water to the skillet, scraping up any brown bits that may have formed. Bring the water to a full boil and gradually whisk in the grits, stirring constantly to prevent any clumps from forming. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until grits are thickened, no more than 5 minutes, adding extra water if necessary.

Remove the grits from the heat and stir in the caramelized onion. Crumble in goat cheese and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Vote using the poll in the right-hand column. Thanks!

Vidalia Victuals Finalist #5: Vidalia Onion on the Grill

Vidalia Onion on the Grill

submitted by Brandette L

1 large Vidalia onion
1 beef bouillon cube
3 tablespoons butter

Take an onion and score the top in an X shape with a paring knife. Pull open the middle slightly. Stick the beef bouillon cube in the middle, then stuff with the butter. Wrap tightly in foil.

Grill the onion until tender to the touch, about 30 minutes. Serve each onion in a bowl for perfect individual portions.

Vote using the poll in the right-hand column. Thanks!

Vidalia Victuals Finalist #4: Vidalia Onion Soup

Vidalia Onion Soup
Submitted by h2babe of Blissfully Delicious

4 tablespoons of butter
4 large Vidalia onions, sliced
5 cups chicken stock
A pinch of dried thyme
A pinch of dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Mozzarella Cheese
2 tablespoons cognac (optional)
Croutons (optional)

Melt the butter over medium heat in a pot. Add the sliced onions and cook for 30-45 minutes, until soft and golden brown.

Add the chicken stock, and turn the heat to medium high. Bring just to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer.

Add herbs, cognac, pepper, and salt. Cook for 15 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place croutons and one tablespoon parmesan cheese on the bottom of each bowl. Add soup, and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts.

Vote using the poll in the right-hand column. Thanks!

Vidalia Victuals Finalist #3: Vidalia Onion Tart

Vidalia Onion Tart
Submitted by Ashley P.

1 9-inch deep dish pie crust
3 tablespoons butter
1 large Vidalia onion, diced
1/2 cup sour cream
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1 packet dry leek soup mix
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a large, heavy skillet, saute butter and diced onion over medium heat. Cook until lightly caramelized. Place your pie crust in a deep dish pie pan and set aside.

Remove from heat and whisk in the sour cream. Next, slowly whisk in the evaporated milk. Then blend in the dry soup mix until it is completely incorporated. Add the eggs and mix in the shredded cheese until blended.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pastry. Place the pie on a cookie sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in teh center comes out clean. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

Vote using the poll in the right-hand column. Thanks!

Vidalia Victuals Finalist #2: Beer Battered Vidalia Onion Rings

Beer Battered Vidalia Onion Rings

Submitted by Elizabeth of Reality Distorted

3-4 Vidalia onions sliced and separated into rings
Oil for deep fryer
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups flour
dash of pepper
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon melted shortening
1 cup beer (or milk)

Place the eggs, flour, pepper, baking powder, and shortening into a blender or large bowl. Whip together, gradually adding in beer last. Refrigerate the batter while you heat the oil and slice the onions.

Heat oil in deep fryer to 370-380 degrees. You can test the oil by dropping in a small chunk of white bread. It should turn golden in about a minute.

Dip onion rings into batter, drip excess from rings and then drop them into the hot oil. Deep fry until golden brown. Be sure not to overcrowd the fryer because this cools the oil.

Cool slightly on a rack with paper towels or newspaper to catch any oil drip. Serve warm.

Vote using the poll in the right-hand column. Thanks!

Vidalia Victuals Finalist #1: Vidalia Onions au Gratin

Vidalia Onions au Gratin
submitted by tinysbridetobe of Confessions of a Broke Bride

2 tablespoons of butter
5 medium vidalia onions, quartered and thinly sliced
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup packaged biscuit mix (recommended: Bisquick)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup flavored bread crumbs

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions should be soft and tender. Remove the onions from the heat and stir in the 2 cups of cheese, the biscuit mix, and the pepper. Transfer this mixture to your prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Top with the bread crumbs.

Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Vote using the poll in the right-hand column. Thanks!

Vidalia Victuals Contest: The Top Ten

I know what you're thinking, dear readers. You're thinking that I've been a bit slack on the blogging lately. Well, all I can tell you is I've been doing double blog duty - just wait until you see all the wonderful Vidalia Onion creations I've been making for the Vidalia Victuals Contest!!

We enjoyed making each of these Top Ten dishes in the Vidalia Victuals Contest. The hubs and I picked the top ten for their diversity, their authenticity, and their Vidalia-ness. :-) Each one was delicious and will definitely be in our yearly rotation. I cannot wait to see which one you, dear readers, vote for as the winner!

Here's how to vote: Look up. No, not literally up, but up the page. And to the right. See the pretty little poll I made? That's where you can vote! So peruse the recipes, try some out this week if you want, and pick your winner by noon on Monday, June 8, 2009 (that's one week from today).

I also want to thank everyone who entered a recipe in my little contest. I appreciate you sharing with me! I'm keeping ALL of them because we still have 1 more bag of onions left!

Good luck to the finalists, and I hope all my dear readers enjoy the Vidalias!

Vidalia Victuals Contest

I'm so pleased, dear readers, to announce this interactive Vintage Victuals blog event.

Every year, hubby gets about ten 20-lb. bags of Vidalia Onions from his rotary club. They "sell" them as an annual fundraiser. However, we usually end up giving them away to our friends, eating onions morning, noon, and night, and still allowing some of these tasty little guys to go to waste.

But this year, we came up with a way that you, dear readers, can help us out. An on that note, I'm excited to announce the first annual Vidalia Victuals Contest!

Well, the Vidalia Onion crop is officially in! It's a happy time for Georgians and onion-lovers all over the South. If you're looking for these babies in your local grocery store, be sure to look for the "Vidalia" on the sticker, as shown in the pictures here.

Here's how the Vidalia Victuals Contest will work.

1. Submit your all-time favorite vidalia onion recipes to me (either by commenting on this post or by emailing me) by Monday, May 11, 2009 at 11:59 PM. In any cases of duplicate recipes, then I will accept the one that was submitted first. Limit one recipe per person, so pick your very best recipe!
   
2. Then, the hubby and I will select 10 recipes that will advance to the Final Round. These recipes will be selected based on their creativity, their southern-ness, and their ability to showcase the distinctive Vidalia flavor.
3. I will make these 10 recipes (using our oodles of onions), and post a big round-up featuring all ten of them: pics, links to original recipes (if they are found online), all the goodies.
   
4. Then, YOU, dear readers, will vote for the winner of the Vidalia Victuals Contest. The winner will not only receive fame and glory being featured on the VV blog, but will also be the proud owner of a Vidalia Onion Prize Package including fresh Vidalia onions, some of our favorite locally-produced gourmet Vidalia sauces/dressings/relishes from our local country store, and some great goodies straight from the official Vidalia Onion Committee.

Good luck!

Update:
Be sure to also enter your Vidalia Onion recipe in
the Vidalia Onion Committee's
"Sweet Times with Vidalias" Recipe Contest!
Win major cash prizes.
Submit your entries by August 14, 2009.

I know I'm going to be entering this one!!!