July 2005
Summer Vegetables
by Celia Cheng
lime onions w/ cherry tomatoes & baby bok choy
Onions can be tricky. Most of the time they add great flavor to a dish, but sometimes they can be too overpowering and pungent. This salad uses them generously and creatively. The onions are marinated in lime juice and lime zest until slightly pickled, taking the edge off their strong flavor. Having said that, onions have so much personality on their own that it’s important that the original taste is not lost but instead softened. The result is very light and refreshing. Next add the juicy sweetness of the tomatoes, and the slightly bitter taste of the baby bok choy and you get a really unexpected summer winner. I was so pleasantly surprised by how good onion can taste in a leading role.
