Kitchen

[WORKING GAL]

I buy a bag of peeled garlic cloves and finely chop them in my KA food chopper. Put them in in a jar with a very small amount of oil and refrigerate.  Keeps a long time and is a time saver.

[spumoni99]

If I am baking something anyway I will cut the top off of a head of garlic off, drizzle with a little evoo and salt and wrap in foil and bake along.  It is so yummy, I usually make one for my husband and one for me, good we are both retired!!!

[Enufstuff]

@loriqvc @amyb 

                                That happened to me too, when I posted my recipe for that soup, last year. 

[River Song]

I make a garlic paste in the food processor with lemon juice, salt and oil.  It comes out very light and fluffy but intensely garlicky because the garlic is minced so fine.  I freeze it in small containers.  It's convenient if you use garlic a lot but don't want to be bothered with chopping it up.  I buy the peeled garlic cloves at Costco.

BTW, it's not recommended to store garlic cloves in oil due to the chance for botulism.

[JFD12]

Okay, so I've never grown anything in my life (but want to get better when I can retire!), but I am currently growing garlic bulbs in outdoor pots on my upstairs front deck that I planted last fall. My son's friend's mom (they live on Nantucket) told me that garlic grows in the fall through the summer. My garlic is looking so good right now and I hope it continues growing as it should! I will gladly share my garlic with everyone here! Well, only if it comes out good in the end! 😂

[Natureluvr]

@spumoni99 - Yes to roasting the garlic!!! It is so yummy that way! In addition to making it soft, it brings out the sweetness. I love using it this way (when I actually cook!)

[CelticCrafter]

I always used to put it through the garlic press until I got a microplaner.

On a whim we bought a jar of minced garlic in olive oil from Aldi and I haven't looked back.

[manny2]

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@amyb wrote:

Some recipes I put the whole garlic clove in (pasta ******iole, because that's what my mom did, and later it tastes good to eat it after the broth soaks into it and makes it tender.) *update...wow...QVC "edited" my "fazool"...jeez. whatever. Did you think I was swearing to you in Italian?

Some recipes I slice it...broccoli rabe and beans, pasta dishes in garlic and olive oil.

And some I mince small...soups, stews.

Sometimes I've smashed...they say it releases the flavor...it does seem like it does that when you smash it. You can smash then mince...I just think it lets some of the juice release. It's noticeable when I'm prepping, but it's likely hardly noticeable in the cooked dish.

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@amyb wrote:

Some recipes I put the whole garlic clove in (pasta ******iole, because that's what my mom did, and later it tastes good to eat it after the broth soaks into it and makes it tender.) *update...wow...QVC "edited" my "fazool"...jeez. whatever. Did you think I was swearing to you in Italian?

Some recipes I slice it...broccoli rabe and beans, pasta dishes in garlic and olive oil.

And some I mince small...soups, stews.

Sometimes I've smashed...they say it releases the flavor...it does seem like it does that when you smash it. You can smash then mince...I just think it lets some of the juice release. It's noticeable when I'm prepping, but it's likely hardly noticeable in the cooked dish.

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My mother used the whole garlic clove in pasta fazool too! I love it. Garlic is so mild when it’s cooked like that.

I grew up in an Italian family, so garlic is like perfume to my nose and caviar to my palate lol. @amyb 

[amyb]

@manny2 Lol...Yes! I can relate. We love our garlic. Like others say here, I too have bought the jarred, and for sure it keeps long and is easier. That said, though, often it just goes untouched in my fridge as I continue to chop up fresh...not a "pain" to me...I kind of like the tactile feel of handling, chopping, prepping. Easy and quick is good too...just saying I don't mind doing the "work" from fresh.

That's funny your mom did that too in hers...I wonder if it was "a thing" everyone did. It really IS so sweet and mild when you eat it after it's soaked up all the nice tomato broth. Pasta "Fazool" is my comfort food of choice...it's "medicine" on a chilly, stressful, or "just because I crave it" kind of day! I always say, it's Italian's "mac & cheese", as far as comfort foods go.

[manny2]

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@amyb wrote:

@manny2 Lol...Yes! I can relate. We love our garlic. Like others say here, I too have bought the jarred, and for sure it keeps long and is easier. That said, though, often it just goes untouched in my fridge as I continue to chop up fresh...not a "pain" to me...I kind of like the tactile feel of handling, chopping, prepping. Easy and quick is good too...just saying I don't mind doing the "work" from fresh.

That's funny your mom did that too in hers...I wonder if it was "a thing" everyone did. It really IS so sweet and mild when you eat it after it's soaked up all the nice tomato broth. Pasta "Fazool" is my comfort food of choice...it's "medicine" on a chilly, stressful, or "just because I crave it" kind of day! I always say, it's Italian's "mac & cheese", as far as comfort foods go.

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When I grew up pasta fazool was something cultural, so most people did not know what it was. Now it’s on every menu.

I love it. It is a comfort food for me too! @amyb