The Many Benefits of Eating Garlic:

Scientific Name: Allium Sativum

Common Name: Garlic

Plant Family: Allium

Species: Hardneck varieties include:

• Asiatic, Creole, Porcelain, Purple Stripe, Glazed Purple Stripe, Marbled Purple Stripe, Rocambole, Turban, and Music Garlic.

Softneck varieties include:

• Artichoke and Silver Skin

Medicinal Uses:

• Garlic may reduce the risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and diseases with an underlying inflammation.
• Garlic will boost your immune system as it has a host of antioxidants. When a garlic bulb is crushed or grounded, it releases a high concentration of a compound called allicin. Allicin has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.

PAPAYA POWER JUICE:

1/4 cup (60 mL) of papaya

1 fresh orange, peeled

3/4 cup (180 mL) of fresh parsley

1 fresh garlic clove, peeled

Juice the papaya, and add other ingredients.

CAUTIONS: Garlic can thin the blood, so it might enhance or contradict the effects of certain prescriptions, including anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs such as warfarin, aspirin, clopidogrel, and enoxaparin.

Culinary Uses:

TORTELLINI MARINARA:

INGREDIENTS:

2-1/4 lbs (1 Kg) tortellini

1-1/2 lbs (675 kg) mussels or kiwi clams

1 lb (450 g) medium-size shrimp

1 Tbsp (30 mL) olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

3 cups (750 mL) tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped

2 Tbsp (30 mL) tomato paste

1-1/2 lbs (675 g) sea scallops

1/2 cup (125 mL) grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Cook tortellini in rapidly boiling water for 10 minutes or according to directions.

Cook mussels in boiling, salted water until they open.

Drain, remove and discard any mussels that do not open.

Remove the flesh and discard the shells. Shell and devein the shrimp.

Heat the olive oil and saute the garlic. Add the tomatoes, and tomato paste.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the seafood and continue to simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

Serve sauce over tortellini and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Gardening Tips:

Type of Plant: Annual

Time to Plant:  Plant garlic in the fall before the ground freezes, and you will have garlic ready to eat in the summer of the next year. They will over-winter in some regions of Canada.

Time to Harvest: Late summer.

Location: Plant garlic in full sun.

Soil Type: Well drained soil.

Diseases: Garlic is disease and insect resistant for the most part.

Storage: After harvesting the bulbs, place them in a shaded spot with good air circulation for a few weeks to dry. Then place them in a paper or burlap bag and store in a cool, dry, dark place where the temperature is between 0 degrees C (32 degrees F) and 20 degrees C (68 degrees F).  Garlic can be stored, under the above conditions, for at least 6 months. Never store garlic in the refrigerator!!

ADVICE FROM MY GRANDMAS GARDEN:

When the garlic is ready for harvest, you’ll notice that the green leaves start to turn yellow and brown from the bottom up. Use a garden fork, and gently lift out the bulbs.