Fresh Garlic

It’s the dry, grown-in-China garlic most of us are accustomed to – the kind that sprouts bitter green while sitting on the kitchen counter, the dehydrated cloves shrinking away from their brittle paper. Both are telltale signs it’s not fresh. And how can it be when it’s flown in from the opposite side of the earth?

Cooking with homegrown garlic, though, is mercifully dissimilar.

In spring, garlic can be harvested as “green garlic,” which looks more like scallions or thin leeks. Not long after come the scapes – long, curly stems ending in a flower bud. Farmers snap these off of garlic stalks to redirect the plant’s energy into growing a bigger bulb (instead of into producing a flower). They’re lovely and mild and can be chopped up and added to anything in place of garlic or onion. There are plenty of unique ways to use them, too. A friend recently brought me a jar of her homemade spinach-scape pesto.

Scape season is just ending – if you’re lucky, you might still find some at the farmers’ markets, but last week a couple of vendors told me that I was likely seeing the last of them. Not to worry, though, as there is plenty of young garlic for sale at the markets – these are early harvest bulbs with their tall, green stalks still attached that have not yet developed their papery skin. They’re more delicately flavoured than mature garlic and are practically juicy – a far cry from that awful, shrively stuff.

Here’s a recipe to inspire you. I used scapes, but if you can’t find any, substitute a head or two of fresh, thinly-sliced young garlic. Minced pancetta makes a nice addition, too – if you use it, throw it in at the same time as the scapes or garlic.

Barley Risotto with Fresh Peas, Garlic Scapes and Mint

3 quarts peas, shelled (reserve pods)
8 cups water
Salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup garlic scapes (or sliced young garlic)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 cups pearl barley
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
A handful of fresh mint, thinly sliced

Rinse the pea pods and place in a sauce pan with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer up to an hour. Strain and discard pods. Return broth to pot and keep warm over low heat.

In a large pot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add your scapes or garlic, stirring often until soft. Add the peas and 1/2 cup of the warm broth and cook until the liquid has disappeared. Add the olive oil and, when it’s hot, add the barley and stir to coat well. Reduce heat to medium low, add about 3/4 cup of the broth and, again, cook, stirring often, until most of it is absorbed. Continue adding the broth 3/4 cup at a time, always waiting until each batch is nearly absorbed before adding the next batch. You’ll know it’s ready when the barley is tender and creamy but the inside is still firm to the bite. You likely won’t use all the broth. And be forewarned, this process requires some patience. So it is with risotto – but it’s worth it!

Remove the pan from the heat, season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter and 1/4 cup of the cheese. Stir in the mint. Pass the remaining cheese at the table.
(Serves 4. Adapted from a Saveur magazine recipe).