Lake County farmer, Sky Hoyt, grows a number of types of garlic on his Kelseyville, Calif. farm. This silver rose variety was a one of three types for sale at his booth during a 2011 Lake County Farmers' Finest market. Photo by Esther Oertel.
I am convinced that if shoe leather were cooked with garlic, it would still smell amazing.
When the scent of garlic is wafting in the air, I become entranced and am tempted to follow it cartoon-like, on tiptoe, arms extended, nose following the blessed aroma trail.
Garlic is such a popular flavor that a society of its lovers exists: the Order of the Stinking Rose. The celebration of garlic is definitely a cause I can support.
This pungent plant is native to central Asia and likely made its way to points west though trading caravans on the ancient Silk Road.
Its cultivation dates back over 6,000 years, making it one of the earliest farmed vegetables.
It was known to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans and has long been a staple in the cooking of the Mediterranean region. It’s beloved throughout the rest of Europe, as well as in Asia and Africa.
The ancient Egyptians considered garlic divine and swore their oaths on it. The slaves that built their pyramids ate it to bring strength to their task, and bulbs of garlic were found in King Tutankhamen’s tomb.
Roman soldiers believed it gave them victory in battle because it was the herb of Mars, their god of war.
Greek poet Homer’s Odysseus utilized garlic to keep a sorceress from turning him into a pig.
It was long considered a charm against evil throughout Europe, as evidenced in legends of vampires.
In addition to a belief in its magical powers, garlic has been used medicinally throughout the ages in a diverse array of cultures.
Among the cures attributed to garlic are a cough syrup made with it, a tea for relief of sore throat, a tincture for lowering blood pressure, smelling salts against hysteria, and an oil for soothing infected ears.
The truth is that modern science has found garlic to be a powerful boon to our health because of its flavor component, allicin.
It thins the blood, is important in preventing heart attack and stroke, dissolves blood clots, raises the level of HDL (good) cholesterol while lowering level of LDL (bad) cholesterol, lowers triglycerides (fats in the blood), lowers blood pressure, and protects against colon cancer.
In addition, it kills bacteria and fungus (especially yeast), as well as internal parasites.
That’s quite a list! It’s good to know that while we’re enjoying garlic’s amazing flavor, it’s providing a number of benefits to our bodies.
One way to increase (and protect) garlic’s health-enhancing properties is to allow it to rest after chopping. Let it sit a few minutes before changing its temperature through heat or its pH via things such as lemon juice or vinegar.
This enables the allinase enzymes to increase their work on our behalf. Studies show their effectiveness decreases when not allowed to sit a bit.
For maximum flavor and nutritional benefits, use garlic in its fresh form, as opposed to that which has been processed and packaged. While convenient, dried, bottled, and pre-peeled garlic don’t bring the same assets to the table or the body.
Garlic’s flavor is so pleasantly strong that it holds its own as a single seasoning in dishes.
Try adding a generous amount of chopped garlic to about a quarter inch of hot olive oil in a pan. Cook, stirring often, until garlic is golden and chewy, but not burned.
Toss this garlic-oil mixture with freshly cooked pasta, add salt and pepper to taste, and be prepared to be in culinary heaven. It’s delicious!
For those who aren’t complete purists, add a handful of chopped fresh parsley for color.
Scorched garlic is absolutely nasty, so it’s important to guard against burning when cooking with garlic. For that reason, I normally add garlic toward the end of the cooking process to dishes that are fried or sautéed.
The more garlic is crushed, the more allicin is released and the stronger it becomes. Garlic that’s squeezed through a press is far more pungent that cloves which are coarsely chopped.
In the same way, raw garlic is more robust than garlic that’s been mellowed by cooking.
Garlic may be pulled from the ground before bulbs have developed and used in cooking like leeks. Such young garlic is known as "green garlic," such as these from the Kelseyville, Calif. farm of Sky Hoyt. Photo by Esther Oertel.
When shopping for garlic, look for bulbs that are plump with unbroken skin. Avoid those which are soft, shriveled, moldy, or sprouting green shoots.
Fresh garlic is best stored in an uncovered (or loosely covered) container in a dark, cool place away from heat or sunlight. This helps protect its flavor and freshness. It’s unnecessary to refrigerate garlic.
Garlic is a component in many wonderful condiments, such as the aioli (a mayonnaise-like sauce) made with it in southern France, and Italian gremolata, a mixture of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest that’s served over osso buco, a veal dish.
When oven-roasted until tender, garlic mellows and makes a beautiful spread or companion for vegetables. Its texture becomes almost buttery.
Roasting garlic is a simple process which yields delicious results. I chop the tips off whole bulbs, brush the exposed garlic with olive oil, and turn them upside down in an ovenproof dish.
Cover with a lid or aluminum file and roast them in a moderate oven, about 375 degrees F, as a hot oven may make the garlic bitter. Check after about 30 minutes; if the cloves are soft, the garlic is done. If not, uncover the garlic and give it another five to ten minutes in the oven.
Sonoma County restaurant critic and food writer, Jeff Cox, once proposed a dish he called “garlic smooshed potatoes” on “Your Organic Garden,” a television show he hosted in the 1990s.
Mashed potatoes are prepared as usual, but with the addition of one roasted garlic bulb per potato. (That’s one whole head – not clove – of garlic per potato.) The creamy contents of each head were squeezed into the pot of drained potatoes and mashed with them.
Being a garlic lover, I tried it almost immediately, making it the next time I cooked dinner. It was delicious and not quite as garlicky as one might expect. The roasted garlic added a rich, nutty flavor to the dish.
Today’s recipe is for my homemade garlic croûtons. These are wonderful for serving over your favorite salad (I especially like them with Caesar salad), floating on soup or crushed for bread crumbs. If you’re not careful, you may end up munching on them like peanuts or potato chips.
Make a big batch and freeze them in small zipper-sealed bags so you have croûtons on hand whenever they’re needed.
And before I go, what of the bad breath that imbibing garlic causes? Or the smell on one’s skin that an evening of frenzied garlic consumption creates?
Some say that nibbling on parsley, eating a strawberry, or chewing on flavorful seeds like cardamom or fenugreek will help keep one’s breath sweet.
As to the garlic odor that seeps through the pores, a long in a hot tub is said to help evaporate the garlic oils.
Whether or not these remedies are efficacious, don’t let it stop you from enjoying the flavor of the stinking rose.
Esther’s homemade garlic croûtons
1 loaf soft French bread, cut into cubes
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled
½ teaspoon salt (kosher salt preferred)
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
4 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Put the French bread cubes into a large bowl and set aside.
Measure the olive oil into a small bowl or large measuring cup.
Using a garlic press, squeeze the garlic cloves into the oil. Add the salt, pepper, and parsley.
Stir the olive oil mixture with a fork until ingredients are well blended, then pour evenly over the bread cubes in the bowl.
Using two large spoons, toss the bread cubes in the olive oil until all are coated. (The green specks of parsley should be well distributed.)
Spread the coated bread cubes on a baking sheet and place on the middle rack of the oven.
Give them a stir after five minutes, then let them cook until golden brown but not hard, about five minutes longer.
Note that all ovens are different and the timing for each will vary. I find that 10 minute in my oven makes a perfect croûton: crunchy, but not too hard. They’ll get a big harder as they cool.
Recipe by Esther Oertel.
Esther Oertel, a freelance writer, cooking teacher, and speaker, is passionate about local produce and all foods in the vegetable kingdom. She welcomes your questions and comments and may be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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Rows of garlic are grown in raised tubs on the Kelseyville, Calif. farm of Sky Hoyt. Photo by Esther Oertel.
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