Garlic—the amazing bulbous plant that can make your life better!

There are so many good things about eating garlic, even beyond warding off vampires or people sitting too close to you on the subway. (They say eat enough garlic and you will take on the persona of the allium.)

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a bulbous plant that belongs to the Allium family, which also includes onions, leeks, and chives. It grows from a bulb made up of several individual cloves, and the parts used for cooking and medicinal purposes are these cloves.

Beyond the natural repellent action of eating garlic, it is also good for the following things, which I personally care about.

Let's be honest, heart health is important at any age!

Regular consumption of garlic does good things by lowering your blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels, possibly reducing the risk of atherosclerosis, which is a big word for plaque in your arteries. It also helps improve blood flow and circulation.

Garlic also helps boost your immune system with antibacterial and antiviral properties to fight off colds and reduce the duration of sicknesses.

Garlic has antioxidants and detoxification properties. It has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, supports bone health, aids in weight management by boosting metabolism and burning fat more efficiently, and improves skin appearance and hair growth. (I don't know if I am losing my hair yet, mostly because I try not to look in a mirror.)

How much garlic is enough to make a difference? A lot. Cloves on cloves everyday. On the other hand, some is better than none. Like all foods and diets, more is better.

So why eat garlic? Well, if you love the flavor of garlic, now is a great time to eat it! And if you don't...oh well for you.

The difference between hardneck and softneck garlic? There are many claimed reasons, and overall I like the hardneck better than the softneck. Why? Ease of peeling, stickiness, and identifiable flavors between the varieties make them fun. With a milder demeanor, along with a more complex rounded personality, hardneck varieties, once you get to know them, become your best friend!

Perhaps it doesn't really matter, but it's still fun.

We expect the garlic to be ready to ship in a couple of weeks! Keep in mind some years we sell out of certain varieties, so preorder early!

China is by far the largest producer of garlic in the world. As of recent data, China accounts for about 70-80% of global garlic production. The country produces millions of tons of garlic annually, dwarfing the production of other countries.

Click Here To See Everything Featured in This Newsletter!

Serve roasted garlic by squeezing it onto toasted artisan bread slices, and drizzling with good olive oil.

See the Easy Roasted Garlic here!

This is an eggless homemade garlic Aioli (or Allioli) sauce. This homemade authentic aioli recipe is more typical of what you will find in Spain. Perfect for grilled salmon or on top of roasted potatoes.

It is not easy to get the garlic and olive oil to emulsify properly. One of the keys is to grind the garlic and salt together into a fine paste first. Any chunks of garlic or salt to make the emulsification process harder. The second key is to add the olive oil very slowly—almost drop by drop.

See the Classic Garlic Aioli Recipe here!

Chesnok Red Hardneck Garlic is a wonderful garlic originally from Shvelisi, Republic of Georgia. It holds its shape and retains its flavor after it is cooked. It features large bulbs with 9-10 easy-to-peel cloves.

Shop now for Chesnok Red Organic Garlic!

"This was my favorite breakfast dish when I lived in Sevilla. We would wander towards the Cathedral, find an open cafe, and indulge in Spanish garlic bread. I never added salt when I was in Spain, but it was a wonderful addition. So simple, and so good. However, to truly experience this wonderful breakfast, use only the best ingredients - good garlic, fresh olive oil, and good rustic bread." - Eliza

See the Garlic Bread - Spanish Style Recipe here!

German White is a porcelain hardneck garlic that has big cloves, typically 4 to 6 per head. With a white bulb skin, the papery outer covering and the skin below have red stripes.

Eating a raw clove will bring a nice heat and a full-flavored garlic. When cooked the garlic spiciness mellows and develops a nice rich garlic flavor.

Easy to peel like all hardneck garlic, the large cloves are good for roasting.

See the German White Hardneck Garlic here!

A great way to get a little garlic in your life with potatoes. Peel and mix with the potatoes and bake. That's it!

See the easy Roasted Red Potatoes & Garlic Cloves Recipe here!

The Organic Romanian Red porcelain variety of hardneck garlic is hot, strong, spicy, pungent, robust and flavorful. All the bells and whistles apply to these large cloves - about 4 to 7 in each head. Originates from Romania.

Shop now for Romanian Red Organic Garlic!

This is a hot garlic with lots of punch when eaten raw. It mellows when it is cooked, retaining a good garlic flavor and maintaining a nice bite, too.

These bulbs/heads average 6 cloves, with one clove often larger than the others. Beneath the white skin is the color purple.

Shop now for Bavarian Purple Stripe Hardneck Garlic!

Persian Star organic hardneck garlic is a standard purple strip with a spicy, flavorful taste. Not too hot. Persian Star has a wonderful flavor when eaten raw or when baked. A man named John Swenson first purchased this garlic in an Uzbekistan bazaar in the city of Samarkand.

Shop now for Persian Star Organic Garlic!

This is our farm favorite garlic. Absolutely stunning big bulbs with the classic porcelain sheen. These are the beauty queens of the garlic world. Featuring large, cloves, about 6 to 8 per bulb, they are pleasantly hot raw, an excellent "salsa warmer" garlic.

We find it to be the best flavored roasted garlic we grow. Creamy like butter with a rich "garlicky" flavor. (We know that it seems stupid to describe garlic as "garlicky", but how often have you had a roasted garlic that tasted like nothing?). We love to roast this one whole, or to cut the huge cloves in half and toss with roasted potatoes or other veggies.

Shop now for Georgian Fire Organic Garlic!

Adapted from How to Cook Everything, The Basics: All You Need to Make Great Food, by Mark Bittman. This is a good cookbook to have in your library.

See the Chicken Stew with Garlic Recipe here!

One of the most popular garlics of the porcelain hardneck variety. Music hardneck garlic features typically large cloves that are easy to peel and use. Whether you smoosh, crush or slice thin to make the perfect sauce or marinade, one clove is the perfect size.

Less in your face with heat and spice than other porcelain hardnecks, but don't be fooled as this Music sings the song of potent garlic flavor!

From Rock and Roll to Country to Jazz, we love our Music!

Fresh, organic Music hardneck garlic is the least hot of the porcelain garlic varieties. The large bulbs have a sweet flavor when baked. Eaten raw, they have a very hot, spicy flavor.

Shop now for Music Organic Garlic!

This recipe is from Maria's cookbook, Embellish with Relish and utilizes Hawkshead Relish Hot Garlic Pickle to make a delicious and flavorful chicken recipe.

"Once you master the art of cutting a pinhole into a chicken breast and stuffing it, you can experiment with lots of different ideas. I love this one with the garlic and spices; it's fragrant but the garlic doesn't linger too long afterwards."

See the Spiced Garlic Chicken Kiev Recipe here!

So simple and, oh, so good! The key, as with all simple Italian recipes, is having the right ingredients—the right olive oil, the right garlic, and the right pasta!

See the Pasta with Garlic & Olive Oil Recipe here!