Ingredient Spotlight: Garlic

I love garlic!  It might even be my valentine! Seriously, if you peruse through Green Door Hospitality you will find garlic in well over half of the recipes.  And what’s not to love!

In addition to adding flavor and taste to so many delicious dishes, garlic is very good for you.  It is said to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, which helps prevent heart disease.  Garlic eaters are also said to suffer fewer incidents of stomach cancer and stroke.

And of course…. garlic will help prevent the risk of vampire attack. 🙂

 

Garlic alters in flavor depending on how it is prepared and for how long it is cooked.  Crushed garlic — either raw or briefly cooked — is the most pungent and strong flavored.  A whole head of garlic that is slowly roasted, on the other hand, is going to have more of a mellow, nutty flavor to it.

When purchasing garlic, make sure that they are firm and round with a clear,  papery skin.  Avoid those that are ready to sprout.  Give the garlic a squeeze and if you feel hollow skins where cloves should be, don’t purchase it.  And a little side tip — elephant garlic is actually not true garlic and is in fact more closely related to the leek.

Garlic should be stored in a cool, dark place.  They shouldn’t be stored in the refrigerator.  Unbroken heads can be kept for two months.  Once the head has been breached, individual cloves will keep for seven to ten days.

Below are a sampling of some great dishes from Green Door Hospitality that include garlic.  Simply click on the image to be taken to recipe!