Lemon-Rosemary Roasted Onions and Garlic

This is a dish not often served at Thanksgiving. It is added here as a complement to the Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic Roasted Turkey †. After all, your body needs onions and garlic to keep evil spirits away after a filling dinner, when you are trying to take a nap.

  • 5 or 6 8 oz onions, unpeeled, rinsed
  • 1 large lemon, rinsed
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 24 large cloves garlic, unpeeled, rinsed
  • 6 (6” to 8” sprigs) rosemary, rinsed
  • ¼ tsp <salt>, or to taste
  • ¼ tsp pepper, fresh ground, or to taste

Cut onions in half lengthwise. Cut lemon in half lengthwise, then cut each half crosswise into ¼” slices; discard seeds and ends. in a 12” × 17” baking pan, mix lemon, ¼ cup water, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and ¼ teaspoon each <salt> and pepper. Spread level in pan. Lay onions, cut side down, in pan, on and around lemons and herbs. Bake in a 400°F oven until onions are soft when squeezed, 50 to 60 minutes. Check occasionally; if pan juices evaporate before onions are tender, add a few tablespoons water. Arrange onions, cut side up, on a platter; distribute lemon, garlic, and rosemary over onions. Serve hot or at room temperature. Add more <salt> and pepper to taste.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

no salt pickles

When you’re trying to get your blood pressure under control, you either have to give up dill pickles or find a substitute. This recipe replaces salt with a no-salt substitute.

For each quart use:
  • 6 medium pickling cucumbers, sliced
  • 1 to 2 cloves garlic, slivered
  • 3 bunches fresh dill
  • 1 to 2 tbsp dill seeds
  • 1 hot pepper
  • 1 tsp whole pickling spice
  • 2 tsp whole mustard seed
  • 1 oz fresh horse radish
  • ¼ tsp powdered alum
  • ½ tsp potassium chloride (salt substitute)
  • 2 cups vinegar
  • 2 cups water
  • 6 tsp <sugar> sweetener

Combine all ingredients except cucumbers, pepper, horseradish, and half the dill and garlic in a large pot (not aluminum), and bring to a boil. Pack cucumbers in clean, hot, standard canning jars. Add the reserved garlic, dill, hot pepper, and horse radish and cover with hot liquid. Adjust jar lids. Process in water bath 20 minutes (consult canning book for method). Remove and cool on wire rack or folded towel. Check for good seal and remove rings.