This is the summer of rain—sheets of it, gusts of it, dribbles of it, puddles of it. It has rained now for 16 straight days and we are feeling like we should build an ark, fill it with corn, tomatoes and this Jarlsberg Onion Dip, and set sail for terra firma.
Still, there is something about embracing the soggy NOW. We can wait for hazy sunshine and bonfire nights to get this season going, or we can get summer going ourselves–hang out in the barn, pick in the mud, enjoy summer produce made juicy by the very weather getting in our way. That soggy NOW was our Fourth, where a brief break in the clouds made fireworks possible. We brought lawn chairs, grabbed beer from the deli, and watched kids light sparklers and smoke bombs into the dusky evening. We also ate this and this and added a new favorite—Jarlsberg Onion Dip—made from the beautiful sweet onions you’ve seen stacked on our market tables.
Jarlsberg Onion Dip is easy, sweet and smoky, a dip delicious piled high on triscuits or rye squares or even as a topper for grilled burgers. Honestly, even people who dislike the sharp flavor of onions or the pungent taste of Swiss love this dip, as my own picky eaters will attest.
Here’s what you need:
1 T. butter
2 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced
1 C. mayo, not lo-cal
1 wedge shredded Jarlsberg Cheese (I used lite… it turned out fine.)
Here’s what you do:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter in a heavy skillet and add the onions. Sauté until translucent, but not caramelized. (When I made this, I sliced about six onions and pulled out a third for Jarlsberg Onion Dip when they became soft. I did caramelize the rest; it takes time, but no additional ingredients, and we LOVE caramelized onions on burgers and steaks.)
Combine the cooked onions, shredded cheese, and mayo. Spread into a baking dish. I use a little round stone baker, but you could use a square brownie pan with good results. Add a sprinkle of paprika for color.
Stick in the oven for ½ hour, until bubbly and browning.
Serve Jarlsberg Onion Dip with triscuits, beer, sparklers, and smoke bombs. Eat under umbrellas or the shelter of porches if necessary. Enjoy with whatever NOW summer delivers!
See you at the Market.
