The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

On Saturday, I headed out to Wally World; I had an appointment with two Walla Walla Sweet Onion growers.

When I arrived, we walked the land. I asked questions and they answered them. It was all simpatico, until an unexpected gust of wind blew our hats off our heads. I ran after my leather fedora and the guys after their baseball caps.

As we ran and jumped between rows of baby Sweet Onions, I lost a boot, sucked right off my foot by an angry furrow. One farmer held me up while the other fought to put my boot back on. I know we looked ridiculous wobbling around out in the open spaces. But I got my story and in one piece!

However, it's hard to sit here today and write an article about the coming spring and its foods when in the valley we still are experiencing the tattered end of winter. I did notice my daffodils popping their heads up along my walk today.

Gary Cooper, my gentleman kitty, sat out amongst them this afternoon, turning his head from side to side, listening to the squiggles and pops of new growth moving upward toward the surface of the earth.

This afternoon I stopped in at Cavu winery, out in Walla Walla's port district, and bought a bottle of winemaker Joel Waite's '08 Sauvignon Blanc. This white wine is a little tangy saltbox, crisp and refreshing, perfect with savory, acidic foods such as the French onion soup I was making for dinner tonight.

Wine Guy was in California for the week, so I called a girlfriend over for dinner. We settled in for the evening with our bowls of caramelized onion soup, a basket of cheesy, butter-toasted tartlets to float on top, and the bottle of chilled Sauvignon Blanc.

The nuances in this wine are encouraged by its being both tank and barrel fermented, giving it a citrus minerality and soft, tropical fruit finish. Because Joel has made this wine so dog-on food friendly, Cavu earns 98 points from Wine and Country Living for the '08 Sauvignon Blanc.

Congratulations Cavu! In the mean time readers, "Eat Art, Drink Imagination!"

Jarlsburg Sweet Onion Tartlets Serves 4

4-thick slices of sourdough French bread, toasted and buttered 4-medium-thick slices Jalsburg swiss cheese 1-8-perfect-fitting rounds of sliced onion 1-tablespoon fresh thyme

Method: Preheat broiler to 350 degrees. Place cheese on toasted, garlic-buttered sourdough. Place perfect, sliced onions to fit on toast. Douse each onion top with melted butter, place on broiler pan and broil, leaving broiler door ajar 3-inches. Broil toasts for 3-minutes, or until onions seem browned and cheese is oozing. Using a spatula, remove toasts, sprinkle with thyme leaves and place one each on top of hot soup and serve.

Hear Judith Speak! www.chefjudithhenderson.com