Garlic....

“Without garlic I simply would not care to live.” – Louis Diat

I love garlic. It probably doesn't make it very pleasant to be around me sometimes, but it is one of my favourite favours (and aromas! There is nothing like the smell of garlic sautéing!).

So growing garlic is one of my favourite gardening adventures.

And today was garlic harvest day.

In January 2012, we visited a friend in Meander, Tasmania (an absolutely gorgeous part of Australia, if you ever get the chance to go there). When we were leaving (to do some more Tassie touring), he gave me three heads of beautiful organic Tasmanian garlic. Since then, I've been growing it. Today, despite my chooks' attempt to decimate the garlic crop a while back, I harvested 28 lovely heads, including an enormous one, at least 5cm wide!

My monster garlic head!

I know a lot of people don't think that organic makes much difference, but garlic is one of the vegetables where I can really taste the difference. This garlic tastes so good!!!

So I've picked it, braided it (I just watch this video for instructions- I still need a little practice!),

My 'braids'

and it's hung up in a little old caravan that I'm planning on turning into a drying/storage room.

I cannot wait to cook up lots of lovely garlicky things!

I love roasted garlic cloves with some roast lamb, or a bit of cabbage fried in butter and garlic (and perhaps a little vegemite!). My father-in-law used to swear by a raw clove of garlic and a slice of cheese every evening. What's your favourite garlic recipe?