Let the garlic sit for at least a month before using, so the flavors can develop. The longer it sits, the better it gets.
Growing up in a 1960's suburban household without olive oil and garlic left a huge gap in my culinary training. It took me some time to overcome my immature prejudices about garlic and get with the program. Something that Chef Jerry Pellegrino have in common, it is always at hand when we're cooking.
The first thing you'll want to know about garlic is that it comes in two main types: softneck and hardneck. The neck in question is the stem of the plant. The hardneck will produce an elongated stem called a "scape" which is edible in its own right. The softneck does not. Some feel the hardneck is more flavorful and it is certainly easier to peel. Softnecks do better in warmer climates, and their soft stem is what makes a garlic "braid" feasible.
Both varieties can store for quite some time; at least two or three months after picking. In face most hardnecks are dry aged before being sent to the market.
Garlic has been known in the kitchen for over 6 millennia. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Chinese used it. In later history it was widespread in Asia, but in Europe and North Africa it centered on the
Mediterranean regions. Northern Europe and the British Isles were very much later-comers to garlic, and so it is less present in their traditional cuisines.
Here are some ideas that Jerry came up with.
Spinach Pesto
Ingredients
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic
½ cup pistachios
1 cup parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper
In a small sauce pan set over low heat*, cook the whole garlic cloves in the olive oil until aromatic and soft, approximately 15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.
In a blender, add the spinach, pistachios olive oil and garlic cloves. Turn on the blender. Add additional olive oil if the pesto is too thick. Pour into a mixing bowl and whisk in the cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
*Extra Virgin Olive Oil starts to lose its aromatics at temperatures above 140°F. We’ve found that poaching the garlic in the olive at 160°F allows the garlic to cook and the olive oil to retain most of its beautiful aromas and taste. We use a digital induction burner to hold the temperature ay 160°F for one hour and the results are amazing! You can use a candy thermometer to try and adjust the heat on the burner to stay around 160°F.
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Pickled Garlic
Ingredients
3 lbs peeled whole garlic cloves
6 cups white vinegar
1 tablespoon pickling salt
1⁄2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, divided
1⁄2 teaspoon celery seed, divided
1 teaspoon dried oregano, divided
12 peppercorns, divided
Fill a large bowl with ice and fill halfway with water. This is the ice bath you will use to stop the cooking after you blanch the garlic.
Bring a very large pot of water to a full rolling boil. Place all the garlic in the boiling water and blanch for 1 minute. Do not wait for the water to return to a boil, begin timing the minute as soon as you place the garlic in the water.
Drain the garlic and place it in the ice water bath. Let the garlic stay in the ice water until it is entirely cool.
In a large nonreactive pot, combine the vinegar, pickling salt and sugar. Bring just to a boil over high heat, stirring to make sure all the salt and sugar are dissolved.
Distribute the spices evenly between 4 pint jars: 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1/8 teaspoon celery seed, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 3 peppercorns and one bay leaf in each jar. If you are using Pickle Crisp, now is the time to add it. Add 1/4 teaspoon to each jar.
Distribute the garlic evenly between the 4 jars, leaving 1" headspace.
Ladle the boiling vinegar mixture into the filled jars, leaving 1/2" headspace.
Use a chopstick or other thin, non-metal utensil to run around the sides of the jar to make sure there are no air bubbles left in the jar. Wipe the rims of the jars with damp paper towels to remove any brine which got on the rims or the threads. Place the lids and the bands on the jars, just tightening the bands fingertip tight.
Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes, then remove and let sit, undisturbed, for at least 12 hours before checking seals. It is important to let them sit undisturbed for 12 hours because the sealing compound on the lids is still cooling and hardening, completing the seal. While the jars cool, you will hear a "plink" type sound from each jar - this is the jars completing the vacuum seal as the final air escapes the jar. After 12 hours have passed, remove the bands and check the lids - press down in the center of the lid. If you cannot push the lid down any further, the jar is sealed. If the lid "gives" a bit, and you can push it down, the jar did not seal. You can either put the band back on the jar, and reprocess it for another 15 minutes, or you can just put it in the fridge and use it within 3 months.
