Garlic

The humble garlic clove has one of the most widely recognisable flavours in the world. It is used to add flavour salad dressings, sauces, soups, and stews. Garlic is also used in marinades for vegetables, chicken, prawns, beef, pork and tofu. You can buy garlic pre-chopped, pre-peeled, pickled or in powder form.

Garlic is relatively easy to grow in your garden or in a large pot. They can be planted about mid-Autumn.

You can add garlic to oil or butter for extra taste while cooking. Garlic oil and butter can be used to make garlic bread, simply drizzle over a sliced loaf with some parsley, wrap in tinfoil and bake in the oven.

Garlic is a particularly versatile ingredient and can be prepared in many different ways.

• Chopped – Refers to when garlic is chopped with a knife into small pieces.
• Minced – Is when garlic is chopped into a fine consistency.
• Sliced – Refers to garlic cut into thin slices. This can mean vertically or horizontally.
• Crushed – In our recipes crushed garlic refers to a whole garlic clove that has been flattened. This is usually done with the back of a knife, the skin can be left on or taken off. The clove remains intact but as it has been crushed it will release more flavour while cooking.
• Pressed – In our recipes pressed garlic refers to garlic that has been pressed into a paste or purée using a ‘garlic press’ or a ‘garlic crusher’.

Garlic nutritional benefits

Not only is garlic delicious but it also very good for you. Garlic known to have immune system boosting qualities, you get the most benefits from raw garlic but garlic supplements are a good alternative.

Garlic is rich in vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese. It also contains trace amounts of other Minerals like selenium.

Garlic contains powerful antioxidants that maintain the body’s defences against damage by free radicals. This can help prevent such things as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.