Garlic
Of all the aromatics, garlic is perhaps the most polarizing--and one of the most pungent! Here on the farm it's one of our favorite crops to both grow and eat. We're currently selling this year's harvest at the TD Saturday Market in Greenville, so stop by and pick up a bag! Following is a list of the varieties we've been selling, along with the label abbreviations we've used so you can reference which one you purchased.
2011 Varieties:
Ajo Rojo (AR): Softneck. Medium garlic flavor. Along with Chesnok Red and Metechi, this is a great all-purpose garlic, good for raw use in dips, pestos, salsas, etc. as well as quick sautes and stir-fries.
Brown Tempest (BT): Hardneck. This is a spicy one for the garlic lovers! Very hot when raw, Brown Tempest retains good garlic flavor when cooked. Recommended for slow-cooked sauces, roasting, or a spicy salsa for the truly adventurous.
German Extra Hardy (GXH): Hardneck. We fell in love with this variety this year--absolutely amazing raw in tzatziki sauce and gremolata, with a delicate, almost pure flavor when cooked gently.
Metechi (ME): Hardneck. A sturdy medium garlic, Metechi is a workhorse of a garlic and is great in a variety of applications. Bold when raw, it mellows nicely when cooked and has a clean finish.
Music (MU): Hardneck. Like Metechi, a medium garlic. Music has an earthy quality that Metechi lacks, almost a "low" garlic note that I especially enjoy in my favorite garlic-lime aioli that's a must with sweet potato fries.
Amish Rocambole (AR*): Hardneck. Description coming soon!
Killarney Red (KR): Hardneck. Description coming soon!
Chesnok Red (CR): Hardneck. Medium garlic flavor.
Georgian Fire (GF): Hardneck. A spicy garlic, and a chef favorite.
Silver White (SW): Softneck. Description coming soon!
Lorz Italian (LI): Softneck. One of the two garlic varieties listed on the Slow Food Ark of Taste.
Storing Your Garlic:
Be sure to take your garlic bulbs out of the plastic bag when you get home and store them somewhere with good air circulation. A shallow bowl or basket works well, as do commercial "garlic keepers" so long as they have enough air holes. And don't forget to label your containers if you purchased more than one variety! Once out of the plastic, you can leave your garlic out on the counter or in your pantry and it will keep until you need it--at room temperature, cured garlic can keep for up to six months after harvest. It's best not to refrigerate garlic, as the cold and humidity of the fridge can encourage mold and premature sprouting of the cloves.
