Summer Onion Soup

French onion soup and Summer time don't really coincide. That is until I was given a bountiful onion harvest. The Dairymaids appreciate a good challenge, so we're gonna bend the rules a little. To make a more summery version of this classic, just make it lighter and brighter. I’ve swapped the veal stock out for my homemade cheese bits broth and picked a fruitier wine in lieu of sherry. Throw a lemon in the mix and it's prefect for warm Summer nights. Don't get me wrong, you will do some amount of sweating getting this on the table, because it's hot in the kitchen. Still, this Summer onion soup is light enough that you'll have room to make a Snowball run later.

1 tablespoon Terra Verde Estate Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Lucky Layla Golden Butter
8 medium Utility Research Garden onions, thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 generous pinches dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup Arca Nova Vinho Verde
3 cups Homemade Broth
4 thick slices Slow Dough Baguette
1/4 lb Alpha Tolman, shredded

Directions:
Heat a deep pot over medium high heat, add oil and butter. Add onions, season with salt, pepper and thyme. Cook onions for about 20 - 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender, sweet and caramel colored. Add bay leaf and vinho verde to the pot to deglaze. Add broth and bring to a boil. Arrange 4 small, deep soup bowls or crocks on a rimmed cookie sheet. Preheat broiler to high. Once soup reaches a boil, ladle it into bowls. Float baguette slices on soup and top with a mound of cheese. Place cookie sheet with soup bowls under broiler until cheese melts and bubbles. Serve with a simple salad.