French Onion Soup

Before we begin, I want you to get where I am. Today is my day off, a luxury here in New York. Anywhere really. So, go to Pandora.com. Type Etta James into the search bar, take a deep breath, and read along...
You'll come to learn that I love to make things as seasonally as possible. I think that if you live in a climate with seasonal changes, your diet should reflect things that are freshest locally so that you're getting all of the nutrients you need. Eating locally can also help people who have allergies, try using local honey. That said, it's not like onions are necessarily seasonal. However, I do think that French Onion Soup is. Rich comforting foods are vital to keep our spirits up when it starts getting cold outside. And onions are loaded with antioxidants and can help lower blood pressure.They have also been used for many years to fight colds and coughs.
I found my 1 pound bag of assorted pearl onions at Trader Joe's. There are also many different kinds of onions in the market right now, I've just always been drawn to pearl onions and thought this would be a nice way to use them. I looked up many recipes online and combined a few to create this soup. I also use some other seasonal ingredients, apple cider and fresh thyme (from my herb garden). Caramelizing the onions in the oven gives you free time to clean the house or do the laundry. I did both. It's a little time intensive, but this French onion soup stands up to the best I've had at Irish pubs around the city. There are three things that if I see on a menu, I order: macaroni and cheese, chicken pot pie, and french onion soup. If they have all three, then I pick 2 and come back later for the third. They're three staple recipes, the ultimate comfort foods, I'm always looking to improve mine.
I bought a 1 quart oven proof casserole (http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=550&f=34276) at Crate and Barrel that's perfect for this recipe. It only serves about 2 people. I try never to make more than I'll eat. You could easily double this recipe, and split it into smaller soup bowls. Just make sure you use an oven proof dish! This soup is so rich and sweet, with bitter, creamy cheese on top of crusty butter-coated bread. Do your self a favor and make this right away.
Pour a glass of wine, light a candle, and relax. Sing along, this music will transport you to a younger time. As will this dish. Enjoy.

French Onion Soup:
1 lb peeled pearl onions* 2 cups beef stock 1/2 c chicken stock 1/2 c white/red wine
1/2 c apple cider 2 sprigs of fresh thyme 3 cloves garlic (smashed) salt & pepper 1t flour
1 1/2 T butter (cut into cubes) 3/4 inch sliced baguette shredded Gruyere and Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Peel onions by boiling them for 90 sec and plunging them into an ice bath, then cutting of the ends and squeezing out the onion. trim ends if necessary and place into oven proof casserole with 1T butter and garlic. Cover and roast for about 45 min. Stir. Roast another 15-30 min until very golden and caramelized. While the onions are roasting combine the stocks with the cider and place over med-low heat.
When the onions are ready, toss in the flour and cook for a minute or so. De-glaze the pan with the wine, and stir until the bits on the side and bottom are incorporated. Pour in the stock and the thyme. Cook for another 45 min to an hour. On the stove top, place the remaining butter in a pan and brown the slices of bread until crisp and golden. Shred cheese.
Remove thyme from the soup and stir in salt and pepper to taste. Top with bread and cheese and place under the broiler until the cheese is brown and bubbly. Let cool at least 10 min before eating or you won't be able to taste the second bite. Or serving.