Garlic-
Garlic grows in a bulb containing many separate cloves. The cloves are covered in a paper thin skin that is removed and discarded before use.
Garlic can be used both cooked and raw. It can be roasted or sauteed. If there is a green sprout in the center of your garlic clove, simply remove it and continue.
Garlic has a very strong odor due to sulfur compounds, but that is what makes it so good for us. Eating garlic with fresh parsley may reduce any mouth odor, or better yet, share garlic with the people around you and it won’t matter! A tip for removing the garlic smell from hands or cutting boards is a fresh lemon. Simply cut a lemon in half and rub it all over the area, then wash with soap and water as usual.
A fun and helpful tool to use in the kitchen is a garlic press, worth the investment, in our opinion.
There are many varieties of garlic, the most popular are white garlic, pink garlic, and giant or elephant garlic.
Garlic stores very well and likes the dark. It will remain plump on your counter top for a couple of months, but if you place it in the refrigerator it will keep for up to 7 months! (Jess keeps her bulbs in a cool dark area in news paper, unless it’s the summer garlic with long stems, in which case the stems are loosely braided and the garlic hung by the stems in the pantry closet. Bulbs are then snipped off as needed.)
Vitamin C, selenium, potassium, and calcium
Garlic has been valued as a health protector for thousands of years, and for good reason! Modern medicine has shown that garlic has a powerful effect at boosting the immune system, aids in cardiovascular health, and fighting cancer.
How to Roast Garlic Heads- Originally posted by Sarah – January 20, 2015
Cook it slowly til it’s brown and sweet…..
That’s right my Springdell friends, today we caramelize. Cut the whole head of garlic and make sure each clove is exposed, take off most of the papery outside at this time.
Drizzle led the garlic with olive oil and wrap that sucker up.
Put the wrapped garlic into a preheated 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes.
This is a little piece of heaven. You literally squeeze the garlic out and put it in just about anything. I have made roasted garlic dips,in even added it into the chili I made Sunday night.
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Spring Garlic is a different beast from the garlic above. These are the smaller garlic bulbs thinned out of the farmer’s row to make room for the hardiest bulbs to grow larger.
Sarah whipped this dinner together on the fly, but it turned out to be noteworthy! Pick up a crusty french bread and let it sop up that ricotta and sausage goodness. The veggies put this simple supper over the top! Your choice of cheese as a topper makes this a hearty meal. Sarah used garlic powder as that’s what she had on hand, but if you have the real deal available, mince it up!
A little bit of work, but a whole lot of flavor! The rich and creamy béchamel brings it all together. Fresh or frozen veggies may be worked with, see what’s in season or what you have on hand and as always, make it your own!
Sarah’s low and slow braise of cabbage, carrots and garlic is quite easy and delicious! The veggies accompanying the cabbage are flexible. Give yourself some time to cook it, as it spends a couple of hours in the oven. The outcome is worth it!
