This lovely side dish is perfect for summer and accompanies about anything you choose to serve. Vidalias are the best to use as they hold together and their mild, sweet flavor is something you can count on.

Use 1 whole onion per person. Choose a baking dish to hold your onions in one layer. Spray or butter the baking dish. Set aside.

Take a thin slice from the top and bottom of each onion to allow them to sit flat and bake evenly. Remove the papery outer layer of onion and discard.

Remove a small core from the center of each onion. They should look like a donut. Place onions in baking dish and scatter the pieces from the core around them.

There are 2 ways you can go—savory or sweet. We always made savory in the summer and sweet in the fall and winter. Here are both choices; either one is really good.

Savory topping for baked onions

Place a small piece of salted butter in the hole you have created in each onion. Sprinkle with black pepper, celery salt and add a dash of soy sauce in each center. Scatter a few pats of butter around the onions; about 1/2 stick of salted butter cut into small pieces is perfect. Using strips of raw bacon, cut in half and make an “X” over the top of each onion. Cover with foil and bake at 350º for 30-40 minutes.

Remove foil and check for doneness. Baste with pan juices. Finely chop parsley and sprinkle over each onion. Serve immediately as they are best when warm.

Sweet topping for baked onions

Following the exact directions above, begin after inserting the butter into the center of each onion. Using a cup of light brown sugar (more or less to taste), pack equal amounts over the top of each onion. Sprinkle with black pepper, cinnamon and a little ground ginger (not too much ginger). Pour 1/2 cup of orange juice into the bottom of the baking dish so as to not disturb the sugar-covered onions. Add 1/2 cup of salted butter cut into small pieces to the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350º for 30-40 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven, baste with pan juices. Just before serving, sprinkle the zest of one orange over the onions. Serve immediately.

I can remember formal dinner parties growing up where the table was set with a silver service plate, a place setting of silver that was about 12 pieces and gorgeous porcelain plates from Limoges. These onions were often served as they are unusual, flavorful and went along with any protein that was served.

Start looking now for pieces to make your holiday table special a few months from now. There are wonderful sources in the area; try The Red Lion in Columbia or Little Mountain Antique Mall. I will be writing more about place settings over the summer, so look for hints and ideas in each column.