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Green Garlic is a spring culinary treat that does not receive as much fan fare as it
deserves. This mild stage of garlic may be hard to find unless your have access to a
farmers market that sells this delicacy (from March to May) or you garden and grow
your own.
Research is being done by the Tainan District Agricultural Improvement Station in Taiwan
to develop a strain of garlic that can be grown in warmer temperatures to produce summer
green garlic. (Source: TNDAIS).
This advancement will greatly enhance the commercial availability of green garlic.
In the meanwhile, given garlic is
such an easy plant to grow we encourage you to toss some in
your garden and give it a try.
green garlic photo
by: gourmetsleuth.com
Culinary Uses
In general green garlic can be used in any
recipe that calls for mature garlic. The end product will produce a delicate flavor,
more mild than matured raw garlic.
| Raw Green
Garlic |
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Mince and add to salads |
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Pound it into a paste to make
green-garlic aioli |
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Use in salad dressings |
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| Cooked
Green Garlic |
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Poach the last 4" of the
tips and dress with a mustard vinaigrette |
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Blanch in water or chicken
stock and puree it. Add the puree to a custard or soufflé. |
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Dice and sauté the tender
portions and add to an omelet or frittata |
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Chop and add to stir-frys |
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Chop and add to homemade
potato soup |
Featured Recipe
Penne with Ricotta and
Green Garlic
Sauce
From Knoll Organic Farms
I N G R E D I E N T S
1 1/2 cups fresh whole-milk ricotta
1/2 cup finely minced green garlic
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound dried penne or fusilli pasta
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus grated Parmesan for the table
I
N S T R U C T I O N S
Combine the ricotta, green garlic and 1 tablespoon of the parsley in a large bowl; season
with salt and pepper. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the
pasta and cook until al dente. Just before pasta is done, remove 1/2 cup of the boiling
water. Whisk enough of the hot water into the ricotta to make a smooth, creamy sauce.
Drain the pasta and add to the sauce along with the butter. Toss well. Add 1/4 cup
Parmesan cheese and toss again, adding a little more of the hot water if needed to thin
the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve on warm plates, topping each portion with some of the remaining parsley. Pass
additional Parmesan at the table. |
Other Green Garlic Recipe
Links
Kale, Leek and Green Garlic Torta
GourmetSleuth - Recipe from Terra Firma Farm for a Green Garlic Torta uses
six whole eggs, leeks, potatoes and fresh green garlic stalks.
Green Garlic Bagna Cada
GourmetSleuth - Recipe for Green Garlic Bagna
Cada with olive oil, butter, anchovy and chopped green garlic.
GourmetSleuth - Green Garlic Pizza
GourmetSleuth - Recipe for Green Garlic Pizza
includes onions, green garlic stalks, chicken stock, anchovy and thyme.
GourmetSleuth - Green Garlic Soup
GourmetSleuth - Recipe for Green Garlic Soup
that uses potatoes, onions, green garlic stalks and chicken or vegetable stock
White Asparagus and Green Garlic Soup
Star Chefs - Recipe for White Asparagus and
Green Garlic Soup includes fresh green garlic, asparagus, vegetable stock, white wine,
cream, and thyme
Tortellini with Wild Mushrooms and Green
Garlic
Recipe for Tortellini with Wild Mushrooms and
Green Garlic includes wine and olive oil and butter
Sweet Pea and Green Garlic Soup
Recipe for Sweet Pea and Green Garlic Soup
includes fresh green garlic, fresh peas, and chicken broth
Fresh Green Garlic and
Leek with Pasta and Olives
Recipe for Fresh Green Garlic and Leek with
Pasta and Olives
Green Garlic Pizza
Recipe for Green Garlic Pizza, topped with
Yukon gold potatoes, green garlic, and fresh whole- milk mozzarella and goat cheese.
Steamed
Mussels With Green Garlic Aioli
Recipe for Steamed Mussels With Green Garlic
Aioli
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Grow
Your Own
Northern U.S. - Plant 4 -6
weeks before the ground freezes.
Milder Climates - Plant from October to January
1. Separate the cloves from the bulb, do not peel them.
2. Plant cloves in a prepared bed with the pointed side up, burying them about 1 inch
deep in mild climate or 2 - 4 inches deep in cold winter climate. Cloves should be
planted a minimum of 4 inches apart with 8 inches between rows. For the largest
bulbs, plant 6 inches apart with 12 inches between rows.
3. Cover with up to 2" of mulch.
4. Water sufficiently so that soil remains moist but not wet and soggy.
5. Feed with organic fertilizer like chicken manure (side dress). You may also use a
spray-on fertilizer that gets absorbed through the leaves.
Once the plant starts setting bulbs, stop fertilizing. During the growth period keep
the plants evenly moist. Don't let the bed dry out, and don't over water.
6. It is time to harvest green garlic in the spring when stalks are tender and have
reached the length of an average scallion (green onion). This is before the bulblets begin
to develop.
Prepare and Store
Green Garlic
If you are going to purchase green garlic look
for green stalks that are not yellowing or blemished.
Prepare - Similar to leeks, green garlic stalks trap dirt and sand within
the leaves. Rinse each stalk carefully. Once washed, the entire stalk can be used.
Store - If you are growing the garlic then harvest right before you use
it. Green garlic can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three or four days.
Equivalents
One stalk of green garlic is equivalent to one
or two cloves of garlic.
Buy Seed Garlic
Untreated garlic from the grocery store can be
used to grow garlic. If you are unsure if it is treated you can purchase
"seed" garlic from your local nursery or from one of these online sources
Filaree Farms - Sells almost 100 varieties.
Irish
Eyes - Resource for many varieties of garlic for growing.
West Coast Seeds - Featuring
elephant garlic, rocambole and silverskin.
Maple Bay Garlic -
A large variety of organic seed garlic.
Nutrition
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| Sodium (mg) |
0.510 |
| Vitamin C (mg) |
0.936 |
USDA Nutrient Database for
Standard Reference, Release 13
Credits
As we researched recipes and information for our Garlic article we stumbled upon recipes
for green garlic. Much of the information we gathered came from a newsletter called
Food & Farm notes written by Terra
Brockman. Terra's brother is Henry Brockman who is proprietor of an organic
farm (Henry's Farm) in Illinois that
produces over 500 varieties of organic produce. We thank Terra for her work and her
recipe contributions.
Terra Firma Farm was
another source for additional information about green garlic. This organic farm is
located in Winters, California. They have an interesting program that delivers boxes
of fresh organic produce to city dwellers. Their Back to Basics page is an
excellent resource for learning about prepare, store, and cook fresh vegetables.
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