About an hour north of Seattle in the arable land of western Washington we met with Mark, a fourth generation agriculturer. With a roadside farm stand, he is a man with many hands. He grows tomatoes, onions, zucchini (and more), has plants for your garden, runs a CSA and manages building trails in the mountains for biking.

And he has garlic. Pretty amazing garlic, in fact. The majority of his stock goes to Chefs in Seattle and now us!

Why “hardneck” over the more common and easily found “softneck” varieties you see in the national grocery chains? The debate is debatable and in the end, they both add garlic flavor.

Where they are different is in the use. With hardneck, each type is different in look and in flavor. Some are mild and some are super hot. If you don’t believe it, peel and eat two raw!

Every Chef has their favorites (though we don’t because we like the differences) and for some, the fact that they are “easy peel” with big cloves are the best reasons for eating hardneck garlic. Try it once and you will never go back!

We are offering 11 different varieties this year and we are so excited!

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This is a fabulous Roman dish. Simple preparation with delicious results! Three main ingredients are all you need.

See the Spaghetti Aglio e Olio Recipe here!

Killarney Red Garlic, a Rocambole, is rare and difficult for gardeners to find. The cloves are exceptionally large and the loose skins on Killarney Red makes it easy to peel. It has a wonderfully deep, full-bodied flavor.

Shop now for Killarney Red Organic Garlic!

Two oranges transform these 16 muffins from plain to Jane!

See the Orange Walnut Muffins Recipe Here!

Known as superfine and caster sugar, this superfine cane sugar has granules that are very fine and dry. A superior quality sugar, it is the workhorse of professional Pastry Chefs because it dissolves so easily in batters and doughs, leaving them very smooth. Especially appreciated for genoise, other sponge cakes, and meringue. It also dissolves very quickly in liquids, so it's great for iced tea.

Shop now for India Tree Superfine Caster Cane Sugar!

Once known as the poor man's caviar, bottarga is the salted, pressed and dried roe of gray mullet (muggine) or tuna (tonno). The tradition of harvesting the nutrient-rich sea salt of the tidal marshes, and using it to preserve the abundant local seafood is maintained to this day in Italy, especially in Sicily and Sardinia.

While the practice of preserving tuna or mullet roe is sometimes thought to be a legacy of the Byzantines, the practice actually goes farther back, to ancient or possibly even prehistoric, times. The same process is used in Turkey, Egypt, and some coastal areas of Asia.

Today, bottarga is a specialty of both Sardinia and Sicily. To make it, the entire long, fat roe sac is salted and then massaged by hand over several weeks to eliminate air pockets. The roe is then pressed using wooden planks and stone or marble weights and sun-dried for one to two months.

Gray mullet bottarga has a famously rich, enticing flavor. Marcella Hazan notes in her book, "[Bottarga di Muggine] has a penetrating flavor that is like nothing else coming from the Italian pantry, sweetish yet densely briny."

Bottarga Di Muggine may be shaved, sliced, chopped or grated, and just a little provides a ton of flavor to a whole host of dishes.

A very popular dish is Spaghetti con Bottarga, made with grated or finely chopped bottarga, olive oil, red pepper flakes and chopped parsley - simple but delicious. Try topping a salad of bitter greens with shaved bottarga, or grate it into your rice congee for a more flavorful breakfast.

Shop now for Sardinian Bottarga Di Muggine!

This recipe is from Oscar winning and James Beard nominated Micheal Natkins' Herbivoracious Cookbook. If you don’t have a copy I highly recommend it. Filled with recipes that are not fussy in preparation, and they are filled with flavor.

See the Spanish Lentil and Mushroom Stew recipe here!

Brown lentils are one of earth's first domesticated crops, and are still one of the most widely used pulse in existence. They have a relatively short planting and harvesting time and can grow well even in poor soil. They are easily dried and stored for long periods of time, and are quick to prepare.

Pardina lentils are an easy way to add fiber and protein to your diet without adding fat or calories.

Brown lentils are not only easy, they're elegant. Lentils can be braised with duck fat and demi-glace, pureed with parsnips and deep-fried into croquettes, or pressed together with roasted mushrooms and walnuts for paté.

Lentil lovers in Spain go crazy for these because they're the most flavorful lentil around. Grown in the Palouse, these quick-cooking Pardina lentils "muddy" the water, but maintain their shape and taste out-of-this-world delicious.

Shop now for Pardina Brown Lentils!