At the Market: Sweet onions grow beautifully in Colorado

In season now: apricots, arugula, basil, beef, beets, bison, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cheese, cherries, chicken, collard greens, cucumbers, eggs, fava beans, fennel heads, flowers, garlic scapes, goat meat, honey, kale, kohlrabi, lamb, lettuce, melons, pea shoots, peaches, peppers, pork, micro greens, mizuna, mushrooms, radicchio, radishes, raspberries, scallions, snap peas, spinach, spicy greens, spring onions, summer squash, swiss chard, tatsoi, turnips and tomatoes.

Lots of this, please: Walla Walla onions. The Walla Walla onion may be the vegetable mascot for Washington State, but we think they grow beautifully right here in Colorado. They are only available in-season from mid-June through August so come and get ’em.

Meet the farmer: Chef, educator and farmer Joshua Olsen has a passion for and dedication to building communities through sustainable farming education. He is the founder of ACRES, an educational living laboratory growing organic vegetables at Warren Tech in Lakewood. His path to urban agriculture began on his uncle’s farm in Hillsboro, N.D., which fueled his love for ingredients and stirred him towards culinary arts.

He earned a culinary arts degree from the Art Institute of Colorado. While working at Panzano in Denver he began growing vegetables in his backyard that were served for Panzano’s Local Sunday Suppers. He opened The Squeaky Bean with restaurateur John Ballen and revitalized a weeded area behind the restaurant with a raised bed for the produce that would land on the plates. All the while, he kept dreaming of the possibilities to own and manage a vegetable farm.

He decided to approach Warren Tech with a new educational opportunity, Urban AG. A three acre weeded and dormant portion of the school was calling to be revitalized and ACRES Educational Urban AG was born. The program is teaching soil, hydroponic and aquaponic growing techniques and providing vegetables to chefs, farmers markets, and consumers.

How to prepare: “Walla Wallas are like eating an apple straight out of the field. They are super sweet and caramelized really well. They are great young and grilled or poached in an herbed extra virgin olive oil” says Olsen. “They are so delicious in Jennifer Jasinski’s Ajo Amarillo — almonds and sweet onions are a match made in heaven” (see accompanying recipe). Make it at home or try it this fall at Jasinski’s new restaurant, Ultriea, opening in Union Station.

How to store it: Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place, keeping the onions apart from each other. They can be kept for 3-6 weeks.

Ajo Amarillo

This cold soup is the perfect summer lunch or a great appetizer for your next dinner party. Bonus: it can be made the day before, so clean up is a snap.

4 ounces garlic cloves, cleaned

1 quart milk

24-30 ounces yellow tomatoes

4 ounces toasted almonds

2 ounces olive oil or vegetable oil

4 ounces Walla Walla onions, chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

Garnishes:

Toasted almonds

Good Spanish olive oil

Arugula chiffonade

Directions: In a sauce pot add together the milk and the garlic cloves and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes.

In a separate pot add olive oil and sweat the onions until they start to turn a light golden brown, stirring often. Add the yellow tomatoes. Stir on high heat until the tomatoes go soft (should only cook a few minutes). Add the toasted almonds and then the milk and garlic mixture.

Transfer to a blender and blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper and strain through a fine chinois. Chill over an ice bath.

When ready to serve, pour the soup into individual bowls and drizzle a good quality olive oil, cracked toasted almonds, and a chiffonade of basil.

Serves 6-8.

Source: Chef Jen Jasinski, from Ultreia.