Subscribe via RSS
I love Julia Child. She cracks me up! Here’s what she had to say about garlic: “Garlic, which used to be considered exotic, if not ‘suspiciously’ foreign, probably subversive, and certainly very ‘lower class’ is now the darling of food lovers and all of our chefs….”
I wonder: Did Julia know about the terrific health benefits of her darling garlic? Did she know what a great super-food it really is? Long ago, garlic was revered for its healing abilities. It was used as a remedy for the digestive tract, skin, respiratory system and lots more. Mentioned in both the Bible and the Talmud, garlic was cultivated in the Middle East over 5,000 years ago and has been studied and reviewed countless times since then. Its use in China was first mentioned in A.D. 510, and Louis Pasteur studied it in 1858.
Garlic’s active constituent is a sulfur compound called allicin, which becomes potent by crushing or chewing the fresh garlic cloves. (Yeah, right, let’s all have a garlic-chewing party!) Allicin then produces other sulfur compounds, which have numerous health benefits, one being cardiovascular support. And it’s got antioxidant benefits as well. Eating garlic on a regular basis may protect the GI tract and, rumor has it, reduce the risk of being stalked by a vampire.
If you’ve shied away from garlic in the past, I urge you to consider a change! Start sweet with roasted garlic. Here’s how to roast whole garlic pods: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place two whole, unpeeled garlic pods in a small baking dish; drizzle with two tablespoons of olive oil and bake, uncovered, for one hour. Let them cool, then peel or squeeze the cloves into a small bowl. Throw the peels away and mash the delicious garlic pulp into a paste. Now, spread this thinly on toasted baguettes, add it to salad dressings, pesto, sauces, hummus, bean dips and anything else you can think of. If you try it on a baguette, lay a slice of fresh mozzarella over the top. Then layer with fresh ripe tomato, basil slivers and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Unspeakably delicious! (I got this idea from one of our recipes.)
Once you’re ready for greater garlic gaiety, here are some ideas for ways to use it:
Mince and add to stir-fries.- Try Garlic Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Buttermilk Yogurt Herb Dressing or Roasted Asparagus with Garlic and Parsley.
- Roast it along with potatoes, root veggies or any of your other favorite veggies.
- Add to soups and stews. Try Miso Soup with Ginger and Garlic.
- Slice a garlic clove in half and rub it over sliced bread. Toast and drizzle with olive oil. This is great with fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese and a little fresh basil.
- Whip up some Edamame Dip with Garlic Crostini.
- Add to beans, bean dips and bean sandwich spreads, like in this Red Lentils with Garlic and Onions.
Add to ground beef, pork or turkey before cooking. Here’s an example: Sage and Garlic Turkey Burgers.- Add garlic to salad dressings. Tahini Miso Sauce is excellent on raw or steamed veggies.
- Stir garlic into sour cream, ricotta cheese or goat cheese. Try this idea for Herb & Garlic Goat Cheese Dip.
- Sauté with vegetables such as onions, mushrooms and zucchini. Here are a couple of recipes to get you started, but the possibilities are endless. Garlic Mushrooms in Wine Sauce and Sautéed Greens with Garlic.
- Stir garlic into mayonnaise or hummus for a delicious spread.
- Mix in garlic to cooked grains or pasta; then add some grated cheese and parsley. Similar to this recipe for Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil.
- Garlic is great with roasted meats and is popular in Middle Eastern dishes. Here’s a recipe for Lamb Souvlakia with Garlic Dip and another for Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic.
Add to cottage cheese along with parsley, chives and minced celery.- Make your own garlic butter or follow this recipe for Lemon, Garlic and Herb Butter, perfect for topping steamed or grilled vegetables, baked or mashed potatoes. Also try tucking it under the skin of a whole chicken before roasting, or topping hot flaky white fish with a pat.
Is garlic a darling in your kitchen? Got a favorite way to cook it or use it raw? I’d love to hear!
April 26th, 2010 at 7:38 am
Isn’t it funny that, through trial and error and simple observation, our ancestors learned so many of the benefits of certain foods, without laboratories or the FDA or universities? I wonder, do we still have that ability, to just watch and learn?
April 26th, 2010 at 11:12 am
I used to hate garlic when I was a child, but now I use it all the time when I cook. I still don’t like a really strong garlic flavor, but I don’t mind it at all when it’s mild.
April 26th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
I have a very easy way to use garlic. I take a clove and infuse the flavor into olive oil over fairly low heat in a skillet. I remove the garlic clove and then throw in a bag of fresh baby spinach and wilt it down. Great side dish!
April 26th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
Ok, my mouth is literally watering as I am reading your blog.. Oh so delicious… Always know garlic is good for you.. Will definitely try one of your recipes..The garlic mushroom in wine sauce sounds really, really good.. Yummmy…
I’m hungry, let me go roast some garlic..Gotta go!
April 26th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
Mmmm…Margo I do that too, but I mince the garlic and leave it in the olive oil, and add pine nuts. Delish!
April 26th, 2010 at 9:45 pm
In a soup that I don’t start up cooking from oil, I add garlic at the last step.
Cook the soup, turn off heat, add crushed whole peeled garlic to the cooked soup, cover pot so that remaining heat of the soup will slowly infuse the garlic flavor and not overcook the garlic under high heat.
April 29th, 2010 at 11:36 am
I love garlic and soft or cream cheese. Is there a savory cheese cake with garlic in it out there?
April 29th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
We don’t know of a product offhand, but maybe one of the other readers will. Sounds delicious!
April 30th, 2010 at 6:02 am
I love garlic and I use it a lot in my kitchen. Lately, my husband has become the biggest fan of Argentinian Chimichurri sauce. I put a big bunch of parsley leaves in the food processor with a cpl leaves of basil and oregano, all grown in pots here at home -, plus a handful of garlic cloves and process until finely chopped – not mushy though. I transfer into a small glass bowl and add olive oil, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste. Let it rest in the fridge to allow the flavor to meld together and it’s ready! Eat with whatever you want
I love on top of a Grass Fed chunk of meat.
April 30th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
For those bold and brave… Try putting raw garlic (a lot of cloves) in a mortar and pestle with a little water and sea salt. Make it into a paste and top pan grilled tilapia with it. Wow! What an awesome punch of garlic.
May 1st, 2010 at 9:54 am
when I was a child I had a ear pain for quite sometime. My grandmother crushed three finger of garlic and boiled into four tablespoon of olive oil. She let it cool down but warm and dip piece of cotton ball and squeeze two to three drops of the oil in my ear. No more pains after few minutes uptodate. I used the same treament for my family and friends.
May 10th, 2010 at 12:04 pm
[...] Allicin is tricky stuff, though, as it is only activated when the garlic is crushed (or chewed) raw and it doesn’t last long before it starts to break down. So if you want the full spectrum of benefits your best bet is to cook with fresh garlic (not powdered or minced in a jar) and to crush it before dicing, chopping, or cooking it. If you want ideas for recipes other than Italian there are some great ones on the Whole Foods blog. [...]