Green Garlic - it's not an onion!

Green Garlic, also known as spring garlic or young garlic is such a treat!

 

Did you know?

• It is simply garlic early in the season.
• It is packed with an antioxidant called Allicin. It works as an active ingredient in reducing cholesterol, reduces inflammation in the body, prevents cold, cough and flu.
• It has been used for centuries in Europe and Asia, especially in India, but the fresh, undried plants became a favored late winter and early springtime ingredient in the United States in the 20th century.

 

Fun Fact: Green garlic and garlic scapes are two different things from the same plant, grown in two different periods in its growing season. Green garlic is the immature garlic bulb and has a delicate spring flavour. Garlic scapes are the greens on top of a mature plant. It has a much stronger flavour

 

Tip: The most important thing to remember when using this fresh plant as an herb is that its flavor is quite mild, unlike traditional garlic. In other words, you will need to use an entire stalk of green garlic to replace a single clove of garlic. This mild herb is simply not as potent as its more mature form.

 

Where to store it?

Store green garlic in the fridge. Add an inch of water to a glass and set them in it. You can also place them in a damp paper towel in a plastic bag. Green garlic lasts about a week in the fridge. Make sure to check the water level in the glass every few days as the roots will continue to soak it up.

 

How to Use it?

Green garlic has a delicate spring flavour. This mild garlic flavor is well-suited for both raw and cooked applications, including braising, sautéing, grilling, and roasting. The entire plant can be consumed, and to prepare, the small roots at the base should be removed along with any wilted leaves. Green garlic can be sliced and used to flavor stocks and soups, tossed into pasta, or infused into steamed rice. The young greens can also be blended into pesto, combined into salad dressings, butter, and sauces, rubbed over roasted meats, or finely chopped and added to salads. Beyond fresh preparations, Green garlic can be mixed into stir-fries, cooked into egg-based dishes, roasted and mashed on toast, or roasted and stirred into curries and humus. Green garlic can also be pickled as a tangy condiment or dried, ground into a powder, and used as a spice.

 

Recipes:

 

Green Garlic Potato Salad

Created by: Ayngelina

An easy recipe that celebrates the best of spring vegetables and tastes even better the next day.

 

Ingredients:

Green Garlic Dressing:

1/2 cup green garlic, pureed

1 cup mayonnaise

2 TBSP honey

1.5 TBSP cider vinegar

Potato Salad:

1 lb boiled baby potatoes

2 sprigs dill, picked

1/3 cup chives, chopped

Optional:

1/4 cup chive flowers

1/2 cup Hickory Sticks

Directions:

1. Make green garlic dressing by combining all ingredients. It will yield 1 3/4 cups. This can be made several days in advance.

2. Mix dressing, potatoes, garnish with dill, chives, hickory sticks. Mix a bit of dressing at a time as you won't need all of it.

3. Check for seasoning as hickory sticks will be salty but may require additional kosher salt to taste.

 

Garlic Mint Beets

Created by: Twists and Zests

A delicious spring side dish.

 

Ingredients:

¾ lb beets trimmed and cleaned

¼ cup mint leaves chopped

2 medium green garlic minced

2 TBSP red wine vinegar

2 TBSP olive oil

Plain yogurt to serve

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheet with foil.

2. Cut beets into ¼” thick rounds.

3. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat.

4. Place beets on prepare baking sheet, dabbing any excess seasoning mixture on top.

5. Bake for about 25 minutes until able to be pierced with a fork.

6. Drizzle with yogurt to serve.

 

Spring Garlic, Asparagus & Spinach with Fettuccine & Parmesan

Created by: Healthy Green Savvy

An easy Spring dinner!

 

Ingredients:

6-8 large spring garlic stalks

½ pound asparagus, cut into 2” pieces

½ pound spinach, rinsed and dry

1 pound whole-grain fettuccine or other pasta of choice, cooked al dente

 

Directions:

1. Cut off the roots of the green garlic and strip the dirty outer layer of the stalks. Cut off the bottom half or so for use and discard the rest. Rinse and chop into thin rounds.

2. Sauté in olive oil till almost tender. If the garlic is on the tough side, add a little water toward the end, before adding other veggies

3. Add asparagus and sauté till bright green.

4. Add spinach and sauté till wilted.

5. Serve over cooked pasta and toss with shredded parmesan. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Note: You can also make this with only spinach or asparagus, just double the amount of the vegetable you’re using. If you like things more full of veggies, you can increase the amounts and the dish will still work well.

 

Green Garlic Falafel

Created by: The Garlic Farm

A delicious appetizer or add to a pita or salad for a meal.

 

Ingredients:

Handful of green garlic

1 can Chick peas

1 Red onion finely diced

Cumin (optional)

1 ¼ cup Oats

Salt and pepper

 

Directions:

1. Sauté the onions until soft. Add green garlic, cook until wilted. Allow to cool a little then squeeze any excess moisture out of the cooked mixture.

2. Place in a food processor with the chick peas, salt, pepper (and a large pinch of cumin if desired) and pulse, don't blend completely, there should still be some large chunks of chick peas in the mixture.

3. Remove and mix with the oats. Depending on the mixture add more oats to bind it until it forms a sort of dough. Using wet hands shape into golf size balls, make sure to really shape them so they are compact and place on a plate.

4. In a frying pan heat oil. Check it is hot enough by flicking in some flower, if it sizzles it is ready. Fry the balls until golden brown. Remove from pan, place in a piece of kitchen roll to catch excess oil. Eat immediately or keep warm in oven until ready to eat.

5. Serve with tahina sauce or Tzatziki.

 

Recipes are curated by Lauren