Onions? Yes, onions! Before you wrinkle your nose, imagine this: a crisp autumn day, a patch of rich, dark soil, and the satisfying thwump of a perfectly matured onion popping free from the earth. Picking your own onions in the Netherlands is a surprisingly hilarious and rewarding group activity. You’ll find yourself comparing sizes like proud anglers, laughing as you unearth what you thought was a monster only to find it’s a twin, and inevitably getting a little dirt under your fingernails (it’s character!).

How to Pick Them (The Fun Part)

Don’t just yank! Gently loosen the soil around the neck of the onion with your hands or a small trowel. Look for onions whose leafy tops have flopped over and started to turn brown—that means they’re done growing and are sweet as can be. Pull them from the earth, brush off the big clumps of soil, and enjoy that earthy, pungent smell. It’s the smell of potential.

Pick a dozen, or twenty. Go wild. They’re forgiving. Just don’t squeeze them too hard, and leave the really tiny ones in the ground if you want to be polite to the farmer.

Once You’re Home: The Onion Oath

You’ll have a beautiful, dusty pile. Let them cure: lay them out in a single layer in a warm, airy, shady spot (a garage or a covered porch works great) for a week or two. Once the necks are completely dry and papery, you can braid the tops or just store them in a mesh bag in a cool, dark place. They’ll last for months.

Now, for the eating. Here are two ridiculously delicious ways to use your hand-picked loot.

Recipe 1: The “I Can’t Believe You Picked This” French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

  • 4 large onions (about 1kg total), sliced thinly into half-moons
  • 3 tbsp butter (salted is best)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 liter beef stock (or veggie stock for a lighter version)
  • 150ml dry white wine (or dry sherry)
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • Salt & pepper
  • 4 thick slices of French bread (stale is better)
  • 200g Gruyère or Gouda cheese, grated

Instructions:

  1. In a big heavy pot, melt the butter and oil over medium heat. Add all the onions and the sugar. Stir, then let them cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until they are deep, rich, golden brown. Don’t rush it—this is the “caramelizing magic” part.
  2. Add the white wine and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom. Let it bubble for 2 minutes.
  3. Add the stock, thyme, and a good pinch of salt & pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes.
  4. While it simmers, toast the bread slices under the grill (broiler).
  5. Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls, float a toast slice on top, and bury it under a pile of cheese. Grill for 3-4 minutes until bubbling and golden.
  6. Eat with a spoon, a napkin, and zero shame.

Recipe 2: The “One-Pan Onion Roasted Everything” Chicken

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole chicken (or 4 chicken legs)
  • 3 large onions, cut into thick wedges (root intact to hold them together)
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano (or rosemary)
  • Juice of 1 lemon

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
  2. Toss the onion wedges and garlic with 1 tbsp oil in a roasting pan. Spread them out.
  3. Pat the chicken dry. Rub with the remaining oil, then sprinkle with paprika, oregano, lemon juice, salt & pepper.
  4. Place the chicken right on top of the onions.
  5. Roast for 50-60 minutes (or until internal temp reaches 74°C/165°F). The onions will be soft, sweet, and soaking up all the chicken juices.
  6. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the oniony pan juices.

Cocktail Recipe: The “Dirty Onion Martini” (Yes, Really)

Wait, onion in a cocktail? You picked it, so trust us. This is for the adventurous.

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz (60ml) gin or vodka
  • 1 oz (30ml) dry vermouth
  • 1 tablespoon of the juice from a jar of pickled onions (or finely muddle one fresh, sweet onion with a pinch of salt, then strain)
  • 2-3 pickled cocktail onions (for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Fill a mixing glass with ice.
  2. Pour in gin, vermouth, and the onion juice (or muddled onion liquid).
  3. Stir vigorously for 20 seconds (don’t shake—it bruises the gin!).
  4. Strain into a chilled martini glass.
  5. Skewer the pickled onions on a cocktail stick and drop them in.
  6. Sip. It’s savory, it’s weird, it’s brilliant. You grew that onion. You earned it.