by The Chief Clove
as published in "Mostly Garlic" Magazine
Most readers of Mostly Garlic Magazine probably are pretty savvy about their garlic. Most could probably spot a softneck hiding out in a bunch of Rocambole hardneck bulbs. And those voluptuous elephant garlics are easy to spy in amongst the braids. But what about green garlic?
Green garlic? We are not referring to a garlic clove that IS green (mold is the great enemy of the "scented pearl" as any grower can testify). Rather green garlic, which we also call spring baby garlic, are the fresh shoots of the immature garlic plant. While easily grown by the home gardener and in spite of its many culinary uses, green garlic seems to be one of the best kept secrets in the realm of allium sativum, at least outside of Asia where it is a key cooking ingredient. And when we started farming garlic (or was it just power gardening?) at Yucca Ridge Farm several years ago, we had never heard of green garlic either.
We grow several varieties of garlic here on the High Plains of Colorado in a rural area northeast of Fort Collins. Our bulbs are shipped to customers nationwide through our web site, www.TheGarlicStore.com. At Yucca Ridge Farm we don't use "chemicals," an oddity in an area dominated by commercial farming. We do use plenty of composted manure, however, "from cows we know personally" as its says on our packaging. Our first step was to be certified organic by the Department of Agriculture. The process was pretty simple for us since our farming takes place on a one acre plot in what had been virgin prairie. Except for our residence, the rest of the rolling grasslands are being preserved for a myriad of ferruginous hawks, kestrels, magpies, coyotes, prairie dogs, horned toads and rattlesnakes (hey, they were here first!). Come fall, it is time to plant the next year's crop. Like good garlic growers everywhere we keep repeating the mantra: big cloves make big bulbs. So only the biggest cloves from each bulb are lucky enough to spend the winter in our newly manured and mulched soil.
At www.TheGarlicStore.com we aim to use every part of the garlic - everything but the squeal, to purloin a term from Iowa animal husbandry. The best bulbs go to restaurants and gardeners and less perfect specimens are processed into garlic chutney. The hardneck scapes are offered as flowers. The dried stalks make a good mulch. But what to do with the myriad of tiny cloves left over from planting? Sure, you can peel them, but we are talking far too much work for too little garlic. Thus was our dilemma after our first few years of planting.
The solution? We plant the tiny leftover cloves, too. But the "secret" is when we harvest. When the young plants are 12 to 16 inches high, and have yet to begin bulb formation, we sneak out into the garden and pluck'em when they least expect it! The tender greens are a special treat for anyone who enjoys fresh produce from their vegetable patch. The green garlic shoots look just like scallions or green onions. But take a nibble, and there is no doubt this is garlic! Lots of flavor but not too much bite.
If you grow garlic, after you pop your bulbs for the fall planting, save the small cloves. Or store in, in a cool, dry place, those gleaned from market bought garlic used in the kitchen. You can use either hardneck or softneck types. Plant in either the fall (best) or the early spring (OK too). Each clove makes one green garlic plant. Prepare the soil as for any garlic. Well-aged manure or compost always helps. Plant the cloves about two inches deep in about a one and half inch grid. This is tighter than for cloves you plan to harvest as bulbs. One square yard of otherwise idle garden space can yield over 500 plants. And after a late spring harvest you still can use the plot for other vegetables.
Several inches of straw mulch really neutralizes winter's chill and helps with spring weed control (garlic hates weeds). During winter, little green shoots often emerge. Don't worry, they're tough. Even sub-zero temperatures just result in a little tip burn. In drier climates, a couple of winter waterings is a good idea. Be sure to water regularly once rapid shoot growth accelerates in spring. A foliar feeding of fish or kelp emulsion at about the four inch stage makes the green garlic even greener. Harvest when shoots reach a height of a foot or a little more. Harvest either the whole plant or trim the shoots just above ground level and get a second growth. The "season" generally lasts about six to eight weeks.
Now for the fun part. The eating. You can use them like scallions, chopped in salads or in stir fry dishes. Braised they make an elegant garnish with steak, fish or chicken, such as served at the Aubergine Cafe, one of Denver's fine dining establishments. One of our favorites is poached salmon with a ginger-lemon sauce garnish with braised spring baby garlic. They can also be served as a side dish a la braised leeks. A variation on this theme is to saut them in white wine with loads of chopped garlic cloves. Or to add an oriental twist, reduce the pan liquids and add soy sauce for an exotic explosion of garlicky flavors.
Green garlic? Let's share the secret. Sure, the kids can bring some to school for show and tell. But once it hits the kitchen and you experiment with them in a variety of dishes, you'll join the growing chorus of garliholics singing the praises of yet another exciting facet of the superb herb.