Sunday, September 7, 2014

Garlic~ De l'Ail~ A little outing~




Garlic..not an herb nor a spice~



















Garlic..we love it~
Always have~
I had read ..heard about too..a Garlic farm just up the road..s a bit..in the town we once lived in for a long lovely time~
A young couple  ..charming young couple,started growing garlic on  a most beautiful spot..
Idyllic, bucolic  setting..I have driven up and down that road for 40 years..
They were not even born..:)
Anyways the garlic has been getting quite the publicity lately as one of our best restos uses only their garlic.. and they have been on the news..
I saw an ad saying their farm would be open to the public Labor Day weekend..the Sat and Sun 8-5..
Saturday around 10.30 I decided to go..(last weekend)~
You can't miss it ..even though the property is a little hidden..the sign said it all.
I love the place.♥.there's an old barn..their pretty home..the cute potting shed you see in the photos..and a view..what a view.
The set up was really cute..and people were in line..
To my surprise all the garlic braids were sold..as of 8 AM people started coming..
She said she was so happy to see all the cars~I told her that every year there would be more and more..
CHARMING young woman and her equally charming partner.
Such a lovely couple..you can tell close to the earth..
I asked for suggestions which he graciously gave..I have some for roasting..some for every day use and some for my next spaguetti sauce~
I asked if I could take a few pics with my point and shoot..
"Of course" they said..
I loved the 2 chairs w/ the bouquet looking over one of their fields.Utterly romantic.

The garlic is prettily packaged..it's beautiful..clean..cared for.
I will definitely return next year for more..
Ad guess what?
They sold it ALL the Saturday!  SOLD OUT..No Sunday..
So glad I went the Saturday:)

Friends of ours grow garlic too ..and it is delicious.
They think we can grow some too..
In the mail was a generous sampling of their glorious big bulbs..with a sweet note.
They garden profusely..she preserves so many things..they live on the water in Ontario..and I think their earth is blessed.
I have now seen photos of their gardens and they are unbelievable.
So come October..we will be planting a few bulbs to see if our soil can do it.

The first thing I made was that pasta we all favor..

Where we marinate chopped tomatoes or halved..with loves of Evoo..loads of basil..garlic..chrushed chili peppers if you wish..salt and pepper..
You can even add rosemary and oregano..whatever you love..capers..etc..
Let that mixture sit in the sun or all day in a nice toasty summer house..
Then simply add your cooked pasta to the bowl..mix..while adding a generous helping of parmesan cheese.
Nothing could be easier.
I never have to add cooking liquid.I have sufficient oil and the juice from the tomatoes to make the sauce.
Adding crushed croutons makes a nice finish~
I originally posted that recipe here..


Just add your cooked hot pasta to the above:)

The next thing I made came from Debbie at Mountain Breaths..So easy..and so good..




Tranches d'aubergine..Italian style~
I could have eaten every disk..but I had to share..as they were dinner..
Even room temp..as they became,they were just as flavorful.
I love little outings..seeing different things..appreciating someone's passion..s.

And my small bed is now ready for my October garlic planting:)
I was ruthless and pulled out a huge hosta..and some blue lilies.. loads of forget me nots and mint..left only the blueberry bush..it will be the anchor there.
Fingers crossed.
It will give me something to anticipate..our own garlic.

Postnote..
Last night..after I hit publish on this post..I persude blogs I go to occasionally..
Interestingly I found Ina had posted about the sauce this summer..If you need a precise recipe..:
Here is lovely Ina.'s version.

41 comments:

  1. I bet your garlic will do just fine. Our neighbor at the lake gave Joe some last fall and we planted them. To our delight, we had beautiful garlic in July. And it was the FIRST time that Joe had any interest in the garden. He would check his garlic daily ;o) Your photo of the eggplant pizza is beautiful! I love little outings too.

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    1. I thought it would look better on a darker plate like you:-)
      I don't have any...
      Yay..I want it to grow!

      Thanks again!

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  2. We grew garlic once in Virginia. Will try again this coming October here in Upper MI. The pictures of the garlic farm a beautiful. How fun it must have been for them to grow, nurture, harvest and sell. I love fresh garlic with pasta, EVOO, fresh lemon juice and red chili flakes. Almost the same recipe as yours. Have a great week!

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  3. Such a great post.. .Beautiful photos, and the food! Looks luscious! I used to have a vegie garden... Never tried to grow garlic.
    blessings,
    Penny

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  4. A lovely place. I cannot live without garlic! Both the sauce and aubergines look fantastic. Great food.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  5. I've never seen garlic so fresh. It's amazing the difference in really fresh garlic and what we see in the stores. Your fresh tomato sauce sounds divine and your house must smell wonderful with the garlic roasting in the oven. What a nice outing.
    Sam

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  6. Ah, garlic! We love it and use a lot. What a lovely outing and what a lovely place to row that garlic. I, too, love those two chairs facing that beautiful view.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  7. I grew German Extra Hardy garlic one year and it was easy here. I bet you will do fine as long as it is a variety that does well in the cold. Margaret Roach garden blogger of A Way to Garden grows hers in upstate NY. Here is a link with some of her blog posts to help you. http://awaytogarden.com/search/?q=Garlic. The eggplant looks yummy. Wonder if I could get that past my non vegetable eater. That no cook tomato sauce sounds good to. Have a nice week and good luck with your garlic project.

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    Replies
    1. I should be fine as that garlic is grown right here and my friends in Ontario..Brrr there too..Thanks Terry for the link I will look for certain..
      Ina makes that sauce too..here is a link if you prefer to follow a true recipe..

      http://www.barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=704&S=0

      Found it last night in bed:)Perusing her blog..so many make it..

      Delete
  8. Oh Monique, I meant to tell you that you will love the garlic scapes too for cooking and flower arrangements. They are delicious and quite unique in form. Now I want to grow some again but would have to find a spot for them as I did away with the veggie garden!

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    Replies
    1. I pulled out perennials:) Just for the garlic..I think I will love the scapes and have to cut them anyways:)
      I have 1 wild garlic scape that grows here every yr.I love looking at it:)
      Thanks!

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  9. What a beautiful outing! It's a lovely site for all that garlic, and loving your two gorgeous recipes. Now that's one thing I should read up on, I could have a little garlic bed somewhere, and sure the deer won't eat it.

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    Replies
    1. Full sun.. and I am told better to mulch once the frost arrives..so we are saving a couple of bags of leaves..
      I am excited .
      Never in a million years when I was 19 did I ever think I would say a Garlic farm outing and growing garlic would excite me:)

      Delete
  10. Rico, rico ,rico, me encantan las berenjenas.
    Besos

    lagalletarota.blogspot.com

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  11. One look at your posts and I have to rush to the fridge for a look.
    Drooling de trop! ot fair after just deciding I need to lose 1,000 pounds (after attending a Paris foodie screening where everyone was mince mince mince ;(

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    Replies
    1. Just watched a movie w/ Jane Birkin..and had the same thoughts:)
      You are probably spot on about Paris and mince..very mince..

      Delete
  12. The young couple and their place sounds wonderful. Sounds like they are going to be successful. I tried to grow garlic last year with no results, will try my hand again this year. Your pasta dish sounds delicious!

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  13. a garlic farm sounds like a fun place to visit, it probably smells so good and all the the photos you took are so pretty. I hope your garlic planting works out well.

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  14. Mon we went to a Garlic Festival this summer and how amazing all the recipes that you can use Garlic~

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  15. The potting shed is so so darling. Thank you for the perfect pasta sauce for hot weather!

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  16. What a lovely little farm Monique. So darling. The couple sounds really cute as well. I think I want to plant garlic as well, in a small patch away from my berries, lol. I wonder if I can grow some. Our soil is very much like clay. We shall see. Everything today is a delight to all my senses. That sauce sounds fabulous, and I have tomatoes to use. I think we may make it for Ariana and I. Todd can have the last of his leftover stew. He will be happy. We will be happy. Everybody's happy! yay! xxoo

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  17. Thank you for taking us along, on your delightful little "wander."

    Hooray for the nice couple! All sold out, in Saturday!!! Yes, so glad you didn't put it off, for a day. :-)

    Again, perfectly wonderful photos.

    And yum, yum, yum, yum, yum food ideas! :-)))))))

    Tessa~

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    Replies
    1. Little outings work well here..it's very ryural..so there are not many opportunities for museums etc:)

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  18. Fantastic post. I love cooking with garlic. I have never grown it, but now I am inspired to try. Your photos are lovely. It would be wonderful to take in a drive and outing to explore. I want my hubby to build a potting bench. Fresh tomatoes are divine. Debbie's dish looks amazing, something my husband would love. Have a great week. xo

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    Replies
    1. You too have a great week!
      I can see garlic @your place and a new potting bench:)

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  19. Good morning my dear Monique, how are you? Lovely to visit you again here. Now my schedule back to normal and I can spend more time bloging and photograph. You have many lovely photos here and your stories are relish-))
    Hugs,

    Yelena

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  20. C'est marrant cette cueillette d'ail !
    Cependant je ne suis pas ail... du tout !
    Juste une pincée d'ail en paillette pour rehausser les plats :)

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  21. Monique, Beautiful photos of the garlic farm. What a wonderful place so close to you. Good luck on your new planting in October. I'm in love with the eggplant appetizer, looks delicious!! Happy Tuesday!
    Hugs,
    Jody

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  22. What a fun outing! We have tried growing garlic a couple of times and all I have gotten was a green stem. Maybe I need to look it up on the internet and try again. I would love to harvest my own garlic!
    All of your recipes sound so wonderful. Enjoy the planting and I hope you have a wonderful harvest next year.

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  23. How fun to grow your own garlic but then again it might be more fun to visit such a delightful garlic farm. I bet there's nothing like home grown...

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  24. What lovely and delicious recipe!
    I love garlic too:)
    Have a nice weekend!

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  25. Wow, a garlic farm! Love garlic and use too much of it, often in raw form. Sometimes I eat so much of it the day before, my breath still sort of smells the next morning at work. Not too good for a girl, but I will not give up my garlic! :)

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  26. I love visiting these places. So glad you took pictures to show us. Wish there was a garlic farm around here.

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  27. Isn't is wonderful when a young couple work hard and have such a successful venture. Their spot is beautiful. I have never grown garlic…perhaps I'll join you in trying it this year.

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    Replies
    1. October.. middle of October..preferably garlic grown near your home..
      Fingers crossed for both of us!

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  28. This farm & garlic & the recipes are such gifts from this earth & on this earth!! Merci for taking us along. It must have been lovely living on that road!

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  29. Lots of garlic consumed in this house. '-)

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