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 Few
foods are used in cooking in more cultures than garlic. Throughout
history, garlic has been not only a key ingredient in foods,
but has been used as a medicine and even as protection to
ward off evil spirits. The myth about garlic as a weapon capable
of repelling vampires is actually based in some fact. Blood
sucking mosquitoes are repelled by the scent of garlic.
Even if you don’t reside in Transylvania,
garlic is an ingredient that every good pantry stocks. There
is probably no other single ingredient that can add such depth
and complexity of flavor and that can bring out the best in
other foods, enhancing and enriching their own natural flavors.
Garlic can make an ordinary sauce, soup
or dressing, extraordinary; can transform a good piece of
meat into a robust and spectacular one. Whether it is used
in complex dishes or in the most straightforward and simple,
garlic is truly a ‘rose’ in the kitchen.
 To
purchase garlic, choose heads that are hard and covered with
a lot of papery skin. Pass up heads that are sprouting green
shoots, as these are old. The size of the cloves is really
a personal preference. I like cloves that are large because
they are easier to peel and I prefer to ‘over garlic’
rather than ‘under garlic’.
Just as there are many uses for garlic,
there are many ways to cook garlic.
Roasting garlic produces a mild sweet flavor
and is suitable to spread on toasted gf bread or gf crackers
and eat as is without further cooking. Roasted garlic has
such a wonderful flavor without being overpowering, we use
it quite often instead of uncooked garlic.
To roast garlic, cut about 1/4" off
the top of a head of garlic and rub the entire head with olive
oil. Cover completely with foil and roast in a 350 degree
F. oven for 45 minutes. When the garlic is done, simply pinch
the bottom of the head to remove the roasted cloves.
 Sautéing
garlic in butter or olive oil is a first step to many recipes.
When sautéing garlic and onions together, sauté
the onions first and add the minced or chopped garlic to the
last minute of cooking. Garlic cooks quicker than onions and
this method will ensure that the garlic doesn’t burn
while the onion finishes cooking.
Many recipes call for minced uncooked garlic.
To soften the flavor of fresh garlic, add a little salt to
minced garlic and smash with the flat side of a knife back
and forth until it makes a paste. This can then be added to
your recipe and will give it the flavor of garlic without
becoming overpowering.
In our opinion, just about everything is
better with garlic! Try these recipes and see if you don’t
agree. And remember, don’t spare the garlic!
Roasted
Garlic Spread
Wild
Mushroom and Garlic Chicken
Potatoes
with Garlic and Chili Sauce
Baked
Herb & Garlic Chicken
Filet
Mignon w/Roasted Garlic & Wine Sauce
Grilled
Salmon w/Roasted Garlic & Sun-Dried Tomato
- Glutenfreeda
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