Light Bulb on Garlic
Light Bulb on Garlic
Garlic is one of those things that is so very loved by some and not so much by others, a true dichotomy if you start asking around. Here’s an example of that divide, even in our culinary specialist Miss Jenn’s’ own family, as her parents cooked with garlic daily while growing up. Now she and… Read More »
Garlic is one of those things that is so very loved by some and not so much by others, a true dichotomy if you start asking around. Here’s an example of that divide, even in our culinary specialist Miss Jenn’s’ own family, as her parents cooked with garlic daily while growing up. Now she and her brother cook with garlic every single day, and her sister would not miss it if it vanished from the face of the earth. Southern European cuisines cannot live without it and it’s a large part of the Mediterranean diet benefits, while it is used far less in northern Italy. Garlic is used in a wide variety of cuisines around the world!
Do you like garlic? We feel that garlic has so many ways it can be prepared that you are bound to find it appealing if you simply give it a try. Now is a great time to sample some of these amazing garlic dishes curated for you on our website and enjoy eating in season with us!
Garlic is an aromatic, and will transform many of your favorite recipes. It can be an added ingredient but shines as the main ingredient in such recipes such as Linguini with garlic olive oil , or roasted garlic spread on appetizer toasts. Here is a recipe for herb & garlic seasoned chicken where the garlic adds a depth of unforgettable flavor to this dish. This recipe will not only add color to your table, it also fills your kitchen with the wonderful aromas of garlic and herbs! Looking for something simple and quick? Try making fresh green beans with garlic in a snap or create good old fashioned garlic mashed potatoes with our recipe on our website. We hope you venture to try one of these seasonal recipes to see if garlic is right for you!
Since ancient times, garlic has always been revered for it’s potential medicinal and health benefits. Even today some believe that consuming garlic may help lower blood pressure, may keep certain cancers away, and may provide other anti-inflammatory & anti-microbial benefits. We love it for it’s great taste, wide appeal in culinary dishes and ease of growing on our farm.
There are two basic kinds of garlic, hard-neck and soft-neck. Hard-neck garlic is related to wild garlic and typically contains 4-12 cloves centered around a flowering stalk. Hard-neck garlic is preferred by chefs & culinary enthusiasts as it tends to be more flavorful and has multiple ways to harvest it. Soft-neck garlic does not contain a flowering stalk and therefore produces larger cloves as the energy goes into growing the cloves. This is the typical kind of garlic found in supermarkets.
We prefer to grow hard-neck garlic on our farm and have approximately one acre that is planted in October and harvested in July. Growing
garlic requires a lot of patience as it takes about 9 months for this crop to mature and then additional time for drying. Growing garlic requires a period of cold followed by a period of light and heat to reach harvestable size. We then have to cure the garlic in a warm ventilated area for a couple of weeks. Watch this video highlighting the curing of our garlic in our greenhouses.
Ever hear of garlic scapes? Learn more about these culinary curiosities by reading our blog. Miss Jenn recommends storing garlic that is not going to be used fairly quickly in a cool dry place to keep it from sprouting. Refrigeration is not recommended as it should be stored cool not cold and it may have a tendency to spout in your refrigerator. She recommends storing garlic bulbs in brown paper bags, not plastic, as it needs to be ventilated. One of the best rules of thumb provided by Miss Jenn is to buy what you need and then use it. Have lots of garlic on hand? Try this great recipe for pickled garlic, a great way to preserve it and have it for later!
Best wishes from our farm kitchen to yours! XO
