<p>In celebration of <b>the start of the 2014 Vidalia onion season</b>, the Vidalia Onion Committee recently hosted a <b>field tour</b> for <b>food bloggers</b> and <b>media</b>, according to a press release.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The tour provided a first-hand look at how and where Vidalia onions are grown along with <b>one-on-one conversations with farmers</b>.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"The farmers enjoyed sharing their passion for growing Vidalia onions, their dedication to food safety and quality and the history of their family farms which is multi-generational." stated Susan Waters Executive Director of the Vidalia Onion Committee.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/vidalia050114bdy2.jpg" alt="cropped_050114" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">In total, <b>11 national food bloggers</b> and key media people explored the fields and viewed the process by which Vidalias are hand-harvested.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">A <b>tour of the packing facility</b> showcased how these sweet onions are carefully handled, graded and packaged ensuring quality and food safety.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IB_MOofSEdM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">During the event, participants were also treated with a wide array of <b>specially prepared meals</b> from local chefs, each featuring the versatility and flavor of Vidalia onions.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The luncheon was hosted by <b>Applebee's</b>. The national restaurant chain introduced and prepared a <b>new menu item</b> that will launch in all of its US restaurants <b>starting May 5th</b>. Part of Applebee's new summer menu, the <b>Grilled Vidalia Onion Sirloin</b> is a tender 7 oz. sirloin steak that is grilled to order and topped with a grilled and carmelized slice of sweet Vidalia onion, with garlicky spinach and smashed and crisped red-skinned potatoes in a warm, sweet and spicy Hawaiian BBQ sauce.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/vidalia050114bdy1.jpg" alt="cropped_050114" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Commissioner Gary Black of the Georgia Department of Agriculture also joined the tour and spoke about the benefits of the Georgia-grown initiative in promoting Georgia’s locally grown products.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">This event provided an engaging and interesting experience for those who participated, while simultaneously promoting Vidalia onions.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.vidaliaonion.org/" target="_new" class="btn"> Vidalia Onion Committee </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
