Grey Duck Garlic
Garlic Flavor Profiles and Recipes
Edna is our creative cook. Her adventurous nature, refined palate and willingness to try any dish are legendary in our family. As children Susan and her siblings, Patty and Billy, would wrap a variety of ‘appetizers’ such as earthworms or tomato hornworms in leaves to see if Aunt Edna would eat it. Of course, all the giggling usually gave them away, but Edna was always a good sport about it.
Edna taste tests and describes garlic recipes below in order to provide you with some great ways to showcase your gourmet garlic. She provides flavor sketches of each variety we grow.
Above: Photo taken in 1965 at a boys orphanage in Naples, Italy by Mike Stiles, USN, collection of Stoney Compton.
Edna: The first time I saw this photograph, probably 30 years ago, I remember thinking, “Where did they find such large symmetrical cloves of garlic?” Of course, that was long before Grey Duck Garlic. Any of our large cloved hardneck garlic varieties could provide you with a lovely plateful of garlic like the one these ladies are presenting. All these years later I still wonder, “What recipe requires an entire plateful of garlic?” If you know of one please let me know!
Jane has six or eight wild apple trees on her property, and every fall we traipse from tree to tree, dragging our wagon and tasting and arguing about which tree has the best apples for eating, for baking, for making applesauce, or for leaving for the local wildlife. In the last couple of years we have discovered that our different varieties of garlic are just as distinctive from one another as the apples are! And so the arguing continues with a different subject.
Following is a flavor sketch of each of our seven varieties and recipes I thought particularly suited each one. Tasting is subjective, however, and we would welcome any input. Which garlic do you find best for eating, for baking, for making meat sauce or for other recipes?
To see what Edna and Susan are cooking up with the green bulbs check out the Cook's Specials page.
GEORGIAN CRYSTAL has a clean taste, not lingering, with a medium bite. It is mellow enough to be used raw in dips and a perfect complement to stir fries. Susan loves this garlic with shrimp and in crab dip!
Salmorejo
Fast and simple grilled shrimp with garlic
Simple garlic fish
ROMANIAN RED has hot spicy complex bite and it retains this heat when cooked. The flavor is well-balanced, not just hot, and this garlic is a favorite of garlic lovers. Many of our customers tell us this is one of their favorites!
Chimichurri
Charred chili sauce
Pasta all’arrabiata
Greek marinate for lamb kabobs
GERMAN RED has a complex strong and richly aromatic flavor. When cooked, it adds a nice velvety garlic tone to stews and to game: the garlic flavor is definitely present, but not overwhelming. Jane says it is great for quick cooks who want an easy dash of flavor.
Mock turtle soup
SIBERIAN has a hot bite when eaten raw soon after it is chopped, but it is our most mild garlic when cooked. It is easy to peel and a good choice for baked garlic.
Roasted garlic
Roasted garlic cream sauce
Roasted garlic mashed potatoes
Roasted garlic and wilted spinach
Zingy garlic grill sauce
Garlicy Greek marinade
RED REZAN has medium heat, holds up well in cooking and it has little aftertaste. This garlic adds a delicious complex taste to dishes that is not immediately identified as 'garlic'. We are really enjoying this variety and will be adding more recipes this winter.
Beef heart meatballs
ASIAN TEMPEST has an explosive lively bite eaten raw, but cooked it develops an intriguing sweet flavor akin to sweet pepper. Yummy!
Thai garlic and pepper chicken
Lasagna
THERMADRONE adds a nice lasting authentic French flavor to dishes. It is mild and creamy.
Aioli
French garlic soup