The relatively warm weather since the end of the year has taken its toll…on my garlic supply. The last three winters have been on the cold side here in Seattle, and the dried garlic didn’t start to ‘go’ until late February with some sub-varieties still holding well into March – just about three to four weeks before the new season’s green garlic is ready. The Rocamboles usually go first, and in many cases its brown spots, shriveling and even a bit of rot. Most of other sub-varieties just start to sprout. Most of the garlic from Anselmo’s Organic Farm started sprouting about a month ago, and it’s in full swing now, some more than others - the Chesnok Red and a few other Purple Stripes seem to be still holding up - oh well…maybe it's just an annoyance.
I asked Marie about the new garlic this week, and it seems that even that will be early, thank heaven. She also offered me a sample head of Wonha, a Korean garlic of the Asiatic sub-variety that never made it to the Ballard Farmers' Market this year. I used the entire head for an Asian improvisation the other day. It was quite hot when raw with a very full ‘garlic’ flavor. It heat had dissipated to a sweet warmth when it was cooked. I will make sure that she doesn’t forget about it next year. I marinated some thinly sliced pork sirloin in dry sherry, Japanese Tamari, roasted sesame oil and sherry. Garlic, ginger, leeks, a whole dried Sivri Aci Chile with seeds and ribs removed, coarsely chopped baby Brassica greens, pork stock, more sherry, tamari, sesame oil, and black pepper composed the remainder of the dish. I served it on some Yume ‘New Crop’ Sasanishiki short grain rice from California. It all worked nicely together. To find the reason for my current episode of ASGAD just take a look at my 2009 Garlic Anyone album.
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