By AMY SOWDER
In the dead of winter, let’s use the “in season” qualification loosely. We’d argue that roots and other cellar vegetables, greenhouse produce, dairy, eggs, meat and grains should count during this season of hibernation in the lower Hudson Valley.
To qualify, the ingredient must be sourced from our region (grown, raised, cultivated or crafted) and available at a store or market near you. We’ll prioritize closer farms, but anywhere in New York, the tri-state area, or even the northeast could make the regional cut.
The farm and market
So, let us introduce you to the shining shallots from Paffenroth Gardens, a family-founded farm in the rich, nutrient-filled black soil of Warwick in Orange County.
The celebrated restaurants and agriculture center at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Tarrytown have recommended this farm’s produce. It’s also appeared on the menus at many New York City restaurants and been featured in New York Magazine and Edible Manhattan.
The farm used to focus on root crops, especially onions, until two hail storms wiped out that crop, motivating the farm to invest in diversification. While Paffenroth Gardens specializes in the cultivation of a variety of fruits and vegetables these days, root crops are still a high priority.
And lucky us.
Now in Bedford, one of Mast Market’s wooden bins under the “Local Farms” chalkboard was filled with blushing Paffenroth shallots on a recent winter’s day. That chalkboard lists more than 40 farms, mostly in New York but also in Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Vermont.
Anatomy and agriculture
These shallots shine in their purple and pearly white ombre hue. They’re smaller and more elongated than Vidalia, white, yellow and red onions, with a round center that tapers to a point at both ends. The onion flakes when touched, and when the papery layers are stripped, expect several clusters of cloves, like garlic. Depending on its size, a shallot has two to six cloves.
A perennial, shallots aren’t grown from a seed but are instead planted using bulb segments, according to Produce Blue Book, a buying and selling resource guide for the fresh produce industry.
Depending on the weather, shallots are planted in the fall for a late spring harvest or early spring for a summer harvest, taking about 100 days to mature. After harvesting, bulbs are cured in a warm, dry place for a week or two before storage, according to Produce Blue Book. They’re stored in a mesh bag or slotted crate where there’s good air circulation. When stored properly, shallots can last for more than six months.
Eating shallots
These elegant onions are part of a class of vegetables and herbs called “cooking aromatics,” often heated in a fat, like butter or oil at the beginning of cooking. They add depth to a dish and cause whoever you’re cooking for to inhale with relish and say, “Something smells good in there.”
This aromatic offers a milder, sweeter flavor profile when cooked compared to its onion cousins but still retains a crisp, spicy, pungent punch — especially when eaten raw.
These elegant onions serve up a lot of nutrition for their small size, including fiber, iron, potassium, magnesium and vitamins A and C.
While shallots are often associated with the stews and roasts in French cuisine, they’re used heavily throughout Asia for their milder pungency. In southern India, shallots are pickled in red vinegar and served as a condiment, according to Specialty Produce, a San Diego-based fresh produce supplier to foodservice and retail customers.
Enjoy your New York-grown shallots raw or cooked. When raw, chop the bulbs on bruschetta, into salads, minced in guacamole and in vinaigrette dressings and marinades. When roasted, sautéed or grilled, shallots can be a milder, sweeter substitute for other onions or garlic.
“Try them sautéed with meats or cooked vegetables, stirred into lentil-based stews, blended into curries, baked into casseroles, stir-fried with rice, or tossed with pasta,” according to Specialty Produce. They can also be roasted and dipped in Greek yogurt mixed with olive oil — perfect for dipping with a pillowy wedge of pita.
Caution: Was this produce gone by the time you stopped by? Seasonality and markets are fickle. Try the yellow or red onions from Paffenroth Gardens at Mast Market.