Since St. Patrick’s Day is so closely associated with green, it seemed obvious to select green onions as the next vegetable to check off the list. However, I despaired of finding any dish that showcased green onions because I’d most often encountered them as a garnish. Thus, I was thrilled to find these little beauties in the frozen food section of my local (and completely sketchy) Asian market.
I thought, “This is brilliant! Not only are they green for St. Patrick’s Day, but they’re also pie for Pi Day on 3/14!” However, “pie” is a bit of a misnomer. These are actually frozen rounds of flatbread/pastry dough that puff and brown, sort of like raw tortillas that you cook at home. However, these are WAY better than tortillas (good as those are). For one thing, the texture is more like a cross between a croissant and filo dough. However, they aren’t sweet or buttery. The plain ones are genuinely plain–they’re clearly intended as an accompaniment to other dishes that would be sopped up by or folded into their flaky goodness.
However, with the addition of the green onions, they become savory. The change in taste is subtle though. I wanted to try them with no adulterating accompaniment to determine whether I could detect the onion. It was just a light seasoning, not even as strong as an onion bagel. I did think it could have used a little more salt in the dough, but it was still delicious. I also spread one with butter, but I didn’t really taste the difference. In my opinion, they were fantastic as-is.
I’m delighted to have another new favorite thing, but part of me wishes it wasn’t bread-based. The 50 Vegetable Challenge was supposed to influence me to eat healthier, not just find more carb-based, diet-sabotaging delicacies. However, I will probably start a tradition of treating myself to these green onion pies every time I brave that sketchy Asian market. After all, I deserve a reward for simultaneously shopping local and sticking with the challenge!
Vegetable Challenge 