I grew my first successful crop of garlic last year. It was modest, perhaps a dozen heads of Nash’s Delta Giant but I was hooked. The dried version you get at the supermarket is pretty generic, much of it imported from China. Fresh garlic is gentle, succulent, and nuanced. It grows well here. It gives bragging rights. So I set aside a whole bed for this year’s crop. Like any addict, I wanted more. Much more.
Garlic is planted in the fall and Nash’s seed crop failed last year. This led me to a local garlic maven, Blythe Barbolian, of Barbolian Fields Garlic. I landed in Garlic Heaven. Did I want softneck? Hardneck? Hot and spicy? Mild? Artichoke? Asian? Porcelain? Oh, dear!
Blythe is patient and good hearted. She knew the signs of a fresh convert and walked me through her tiny workshop of baskets loaded with heads of garlic – large, small, porcelain, purple. I estimated the number of plants I could grow and she helped me decide. I came home with a small bag of this year’s promise which I planted last November. The photo above is most of the bounty. There are also about a dozen heads already harvested.
German Extra Hardy (porcelain, shown above), Inchelium Red (artichoke), Brown Tempest and Persian Star (purple stripe). And she threw in some Juan de Fuca Wonder, their own rocambole. Plus the Siberian that I’d already harvested.
Some years ago I helped at a friend’s party with kitchen duties, peeling and chopping garlic. When another guest commented on my work, without thinking I said, “Garlic makes me happy.” I hadn’t realized it until that moment but it was one of those simple, unrealized truths. And now that I can grow it I’m very happy indeed.
Simple pleasures are like that. Life is good.
Great post, Kay, with a wonderful commentary! You had me laughing. I know nothing about garlic. I thought garlic was garlic but boy, was I wrong! I think I’ll print our your commentary and take it to the local supermarket and tell the guy working in the veggies that I want some Persian Star, Siberian and Juan de Fuca Wonder.
Maybe not. I might get arrested!
Have a great weekend!
Great post! I, too, am a garlic fan. Pass the breath mints! 🙂
Great post Kay! How can anyone not like garlic? Mmmm. I think a garlicy meatloaf is in my future, or what-the-heck, I’m going to roast a few heads!! Yummy!
These look wonderful! Garlic makes pretty much everything taste better.
I love Garlic in most every entree I cook! YUM!!! Anyone here been through Gilroy, Ca.? Garlic heaven.
Oh wow, I love garlic. And it’s planted in the fall? I better give this some consideration! Excellent post!
I love, love, love garlic. I cook with it a lot and I think it’s beautiful and very photogenic as your photos prove. Thanks for stopping by at Polonica: Home Again.
Aren’t you clever, Kay. I know next to nothing about garlic, except that many delicious Italian meals list garlic as an ingredient. I am still not going to grow my own garlic, but I admire your fascination with it.
Garlic makes ME happy, too! Kay – I am SO very proud of you! AWESOME harvest! Congratulations! I just came across this – thank you for your generous words; thank you for making me smile! Made my day!