Garlic

"The Stinking Rose" as it is sometimes called, is the bulb of a delicate plant with snowy white flowers, and leaves that are long, narrow, and flat like grass. The flowers are sold in local farmer's markets when in season, and add a nice zing to salads. The bulb is composed of eight to twelve sections called cloves that are individually wrapped in a parchment-like covering, tightly bound together, and attached at the base.

There are over three hundred varieties of garlic grown around the world that stem from 17 basic kinds divided into three hard-neck types, and two soft-neck types. Their taste varies from very mild to very strong with several in between. California produces about 90 percent of America's garlic crop, with Mexico and South America taking up the slack when California's supply wanes.

Prepared garlic has become a big business in the last few years. You can buy whole, peeled cloves sold refrigerated, or small jars of chopped garlic in oil found on store shelves with the condiments and oils. Braided garlic is used more for ornamentation than for cooking.

Storage & Selection
Garlic should have firm, tight bulbs that are plump with no signs of sprouting, shriveling, soft spots, or broken skin; its color is not an indicator of quality. Stored under optimum conditions in a dark, cool, dry place with plenty of ventilation, garlic will last from several weeks to one year. Ideally, try to use fresh garlic within a few weeks and do not refrigerate unless the garlic has been peeled or chopped.

Preparation
The standard method for peeling garlic first involves separating the cloves from the bulb. Give the bulb a good smash on the counter with the heel of your hand. Then put the side of a chef's knife (or the back of a wooden spoon) over a clove (or two) and pound with your fist to loosen the peel and begin to release some of the garlic's flavor. If you're doing a lot of cloves, or you want to keep the cloves whole without a lot of laborious handwork (obviously the smash routine won't do here,) I recommend the use of a garlic peeler. Older cloves will have sprouts that look like tiny scallions in the center. If they're obvious pluck them out with the tip of a paring knife.

The more you do to garlic, the more flavor is released, i.e. leaving cloves whole gives less flavor than slicing, slicing less than chopping, and so on. Put the cloves through a garlic press, or smash and finely chop them to release their maximum flavor. The old-fashioned method of pounding garlic in a mortar and pestle is the one that will release the most garlic flavor of them all.

Conversely, if you want to add just a whisper of flavor, gently crush a clove and put it in vinaigrette and let it sit for an hour. Taste and remove the clove if there is enough garlic, flavor, or let it remain until it reaches the desired flavor. Poaching garlic in boiling water for two minutes also tames its power.

Garlic's pungency turns into a mellow, sweet nuttiness when it is cooked, so be careful not to overcook it, as garlic can easily burn and turn bitter. To bake a whole head of garlic, cut off the top � inch from the head as if you're giving the bulb a crew cut. Remove the papery outer layers, making sure you don't separate the cloves. Rub the whole head with olive oil, wrap in foil, and bake in a 350� F oven for about an hour.

Tony's Tip
Garlic takes less time to cook than onions, so in recipes that call for saut�ing garlic with other ingredients such as onions, saut� the onions for a few minutes first, and then add the garlic.

Tony's Favorite Recipe
Mashed Potatoes with Garlic and Anchovies

Varieties
California Early has a white or off-white skin and is harvested in June. The bulb is somewhat rounder and flatter with larger cloves than the California Late.

California Late is a smaller variety than the California Early with skins that are purple, or a pink hue, which is why it is sometimes called, pink garlic. It is harvested in July and August, and is preferred commercially to earlier harvested varieties, because late garlic can be stored longer.

Rocambole, a purplish mild tasting bulb garlic with thick-skinned cloves, is found in local farmer's markets during July and August.

Elephant garlic has yellowish cloves that are two or three times the size of normal garlic cloves, but has a very mild flavor.

Argentina White, Mexican Purple, and Mexican White garlic range in color from snowy white to light purple.

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