Featured Culinary Flavors
- Chesnok Red – Perfect garlic for basic everyday cooking but is excellent in the best baking category. It is sweet and tasty when cooked. It has the sweet garlicky flavor without adding heat. Excellent storing garlic too.
- Romanian Red - Pungent bulbs add heat and flavor to any dish. Hot and spicy! The fiery palate is a fine complement to many Asian and Mexican dishes. Also perfect for use in marinades, pickles, and relishes. A true favorite of mine!! Excellent storing garlic.
- Duganski - Beautiful large cloves that are deep flavored with a subdued earthy finish. This is excellent all-around culinary garlic, but even more well known for its quality as exceptional roasted garlic. A Garlic Lover’s prize. Will store for 5/6 months but the smaller bulbs store the longest.
- Music – This large clove variety offers a true gourmet flavor when cooked. Music is a staple in any chef’s kitchen as it is a perfect addition to soups, stir fries, marinades, rubs, and dips.
- Georgian Fire -This garlic has a wonderfully bold hot flavor whether it is eaten raw or roasted. It makes excellent salsa, sauces, and pickles.
- Garlic Scapes – Scapes are a delectable shoot found in the center of each garlic bulb that when harvested, taste mild and sweet. It is often described as a bit like chives and scallions, but with a hint of garlicky flavor. For raw applications they work best minced or pureed creating a pesto, aioli, chimichurri sauce, or fresh tasting salad dressing. They are also fabulous when pickled! Cooked scapes have an asparagus-like texture with a more muted and sweet flavor. They are often substituted for fresh green beans in many recipes. This early summer treat can be used in stir fries, sauteed in olive oil, or any other Chef’s creative dish.
Chef notes:
* The more you cut each clove, the more allicin is formed and the stronger the flavor. Crushing the garlic releases the most flavor.
* If you want your creation to be bold, crush your clove and add to the food just before cooking is complete.
* The longer you cook any garlic, the more creamy and subtle the flavor becomes.
Storing Garlic:
Most hardneck garlic will store between 4 and 10 months, depending on the variety.
For best results store garlic in a cool, well ventilated area, preferably in brown paper bags or breathable mesh. Many varieties can be stored this way for a number of months under the right conditions.
Garlic tends to mold or rot if too many bulbs are piled together without air flow. Do not store on top of the refrigerator, in airtight containers, or sealed plastic bags.
Preparing Garlic Scapes for cooking-
Wash and trim the scapes. Garlic scapes can be woody and fibrous at the base, so you’ll want to cut that part off. In addition, the part just below the bulb to the tip should be cut so you are left with just the tender fragrant spiraly part.
Scapes are perfect for a delicious garnish to any dip, salad or rice!
Garlic Scape Herbed Aioli
Ingredients:
1 cup mayo
2 or 3 fresh garlic scapes-washed and trimmed
healthy handful fresh cilantro
1 fresh squeezed lime- juiced
salt/pepper
In a food processor with a metal blade, finely chop garlic scapes and cilantro. Add the mayo, lime juice, and salt/pepper to taste. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until serving. Garnish with cilantro.
This mayo base is excellent used as a spread for sandwiches or burgers, and wraps. I also used it as a dip for fresh veggies like peppers, baby carrots or fresh mushrooms.
Thinking about using this as a basis for making my own salad dressing. Blending in a little vinegar should make it salad ready!
This basic recipe can be adapted for use in a variety of ways! The cooked scape is similar to asparagus. I paired it with fresh mushrooms today.
Chicken and Garlic Scape Stir Fry
Ingredients:
chicken thighs
fresh mushroom caps quartered
fresh garlic scapes cut into 3 inch pieces
olive oil
salt and pepper
Jasmine rice cooked
Cut chicken thighs into bite sized pieces. Heat wok or pan with olive oil. Add chicken with salt and pepper seasoning. Cook for about 4-5 minutes until it is no longer pink. Remove from the pan and put in a side bowl. Heat the pan again and add more olive oil. Add scapes and mushrooms to the pan. Make sure to cook at a temp that the scapes won't burn but can be cooked until tender. At that time, toss the chicken back in the pan. Heat thoroughly.
If you choose, add a favorite sauce just before serving. My family’s favorites are an oyster sauce or Buffalo Wild Wings Asian Zing. Serve with steaming Jasmine rice.
Note: Cook the scapes for a shorter time if they are tender and snap easily when bent before cooking. If they are a bit tough, cook them longer and at a lower temp. Garlic scapes will become more tender after cooking.
Cooked scapes will also give any Lo Mein dish a little extra character!
Garlic Scape Pesto
Ingredients:
10-13 fresh garlic scapes ( about 1 cup chopped)
½ cup packed basil
½ cup walnut pieces (or pine nuts)
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 tsp lemon juice -(½ fresh lemon)
½ cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
In a high speed blender or food processor, add garlic scapes, basil, walnuts, parmesan cheese, lemon juice and pulse until combined.
Next, with the blender or food processor running, stream in the olive oil. Scrape down the sides and continue blending as needed until the olive oil is emulsified and the pesto looks uniform. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serving ideas: Toss it with pasta, Layer it in a lasagna, or dollop it on top of a baked potato with sour cream and butter.