Garlic Harvest 2013

"The Garlic Braider" c. 2012

Just a few weeks ago the estate gardener, aka the Daddy, brought in the 2013 garlic harvest, our third in as many years. Space for cultivation being at a minimum on our suburban property, and suffering the vagaries of hardpan-esque soil, he chooses to sow his garlic cloves in containers, assuring us a small but successful crop. Amid much admiration for his talents in the field, the manor house cook tries to utilize as many cloves as possible on a daily basis, in that inevitable race with spoilage. You may laugh, but the first year's harvest went off before it was used, mainly because the cook was convinced that the homegrown garlic should only be used for "special" recipes. Go figure.

If you are interested in planting your own garlic at home, our gardener recommends these instructions for growing garlic from Love Apple Farms, produce supplier to David Kinch's famed Los Gatos restaurant Manresa.

It has always been a perplexing mystery to the Picky Eater's parents how she, who long eschewed anything besmirched with strong flavors, has always adored garlic. From late childhood and beyond one of her favorite go-to dinners was her dad's abbreviated version of America's Test Kitchen's  "Pasta with Garlic & Oil." Take the original recipe (below), remove the red pepper flakes, parsley, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese, and you've got the Picky Eater's minimalist version.

Garlic and "goujons" - what a tasty combination!

Pasta with Garlic & Oil (adapted from America's Test Kitchen: The Best Recipe)
Serves 4 to 6

6 TB olive oil
12 garlic cloves, minced (about 1/4 cup)
Salt
1 pound spaghetti or pasta of choice
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3 TB chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup), optional

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.

Combine 3 Tb of the oil, 3 Tb of the garlic, and 1/2 tsp salt in a non-stick 10" skillet. Cook over low heat, stirring almost constantly until the garlic foams and is sticky and straw colored, 10-12 minutes.

Fill a large serving bowl with hot tap water, and let it sit to warm up. Add 1 Tb salt to the boiling water and cook your pasta of choice until al dente. Reserve 1/3 cup of pasta cooking water and drain the pasta.

Off the heat, add the remaining raw garlic to the skillet, along with the red pepper flakes, parsley, lemon juice and 2 Tb of the reserved pasta water. Stir well or the garlic will clump.

Dump the water from the serving bowl and dry it. Transfer the drained pasta to the bowl; add the remaining 3 Tb of olive oil and pasta water. Toss pasta to coat. Add the garlic mixture and 3/4 tsp salt. Toss pasta again. Serve immediately, sprinkling with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

The Garlic Gala

Desiring to optimize our homegrown garlic utilization beyond pasta, we embarked on a weekend garlic gala, our domestic version of the famed Gilroy Garlic Festival without the beer consumption. With some festering chicken breasts from the freezer, an old favorite "Supremes de volaille en goujons, persillade" (Chicken breast strips sauted with parsley & garlic) was exhumed From Julia Child's Kitchen to accompany the garlic pasta, along with a "Southwestern Succotash" side dish from Gourmet (July 2005). Some amusement was derived from applying a blow torch to the chiles to remove the skins.

Don't try this unless you are a trained professional.

We decided to forgo a garlic tainted dessert and opted instead for a light and lovely variation of Deborah Madison's "Polenta Pound Cake" from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. If you don't have your own garlic harvest, pick up some cloves from the new crop at your local farmers market or reputable grocery store. (Chances are that outside of California they may even be trucked in from Gilroy.)

Supremes de Volaille en Goujons, Persillade
Serves 4
So many superlatives needed to describe these delectable morsels- buttery, crispy, moist, tender. Like fried chicken without the guilty grease factor.

Floured goujons about to hit the saute pan.

4-6 chicken breast halves, boned & skinned
2 Tb butter
2 Tb olive oil
Salt & pepper
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

Cut the meat into slices about 2 inches long and 3/8 inch wide.  Lay them in one layer on a large piece of parchment paper or flat tray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and sprinkle with flour to coat, turning to make sure that all sides are covered. In a small bowl stir together the chopped parsley and garlic cloves.

Melt the butter and olive oil together in a largish saute pan over medium high heat until foamy. Shake the excess flour off the goujons and put them in the saute pan. (Try not to crowd too many in, as they will start to steam rather than saute.) Toss and turn them frequently for 2-3 minutes until the meat feels springy instead of squashy and the flour exterior is golden brown. Toss in the parsley-garlic mixture and serve immediately.

Southwestern Succotash
(Adapted, skipped the cream and lime juice & added a few herbs, from Gourmet magazine, July 2005)
Makes 8 side dish servings


3 fresh poblano chiles (3/4 lb total)
2 Tb olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium red bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano (regular is OK)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 cups fresh corn (from 3 to 4 ears)
1 lb tomatoes, seeded & cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 lb zucchini squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 Tb slivered fresh basil
1 cup labne (thickened yogurt) or sour cream

Lay the chiles on their sides on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with foil, and broil in the oven, about 2 inches from the heat, turning so that all will sides char, for about 8 to 10 minutes. (Or, have a little pyromaniac fun and use a blowtorch.) Remove the pan from the oven and wrap the foil tightly around the chiles. Let them steam 10 minutes, then peel or rub off the skins and discard stems, seeds, and ribs. Cut the chiles into 1/2-inch pieces.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté the onion and red bell pepper, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, black pepper, cumin, paprika, oregano and 1/4 teaspoon salt and sauté, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the corn, tomatoes, squash, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook over moderately high heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender and have exuded liquid, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Just before serving stir in the basil and serve with labne or sour cream for dolloping on the side.

Lucky for these cakes that I had some random blanched almonds in the freezer!

Polenta Pound Cake
(Slightly adjusted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)
Makes one loaf, serving 8-10 (or less at our house)

1/4 lb butter, softened, plus 2 Tb more for the pan
1 cup sugar
Zest from one lemon
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt (eat the rest with the succotash)
1/2 cup + 2 Tb cornmeal
1 cup flour, plus extra for the pan
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup blanched or not almonds, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 4x10" or 5x8" loaf pan with butter and dust it with flour.

Stir the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl.

Use an electric mixer to cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each, then add the flavorings and sour cream. Stir in the dry ingredients, mixing only until just combined. (I might consider doing that by hand.)

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and give the pan a sharp rap to remove any air pockets. Scatter the chopped almonds over the top and gently press them into the batter.

Bake the cake in the center of the oven until the top is firm to the touch and golden brown or a cake tester comes out clean, about one hour. Let the cake cool  for 10 minutes and then turn out on a rack to cool completely.
Delicious for dessert and breakfast the next day.