Recently, I bought a fresh head of garlic from Small Farm, and I was surprised at how different it was from the garlic that I usually buy. It had bite; it had scent; it had juice. It was wonderful.
I love garlic. In the winter, I roast it and spread it on sandwiches. This time of year, I usually throw it into stir-fries and salad dressing. Yesterday, I tried making a red pepper aioli, which turned out wonderfully. I had bought a bag of red peppers to roast, and I used half to make the aioli.
Garlic is touted as having all sorts of health benefits. The bulb is thought to prevent several types of cancer and improve blood flow. Scientists are trying to separate fact from fiction, since many medicinal uses, although steeped in history, do seem a bit dubious. (Garlic is also reputed to ward off vampires and werewolves, in case these concern you.) I don't care so much about the health benefits as I do about the taste. To my way of thinking, garlic has no good substitute.
By the way, I no longer mince garlic cloves with a knife; instead, I grate the cloves on a microplane. Much faster and easier.
No comments:
Post a Comment