Garlic Harvest

Growing garlic was a bit tricky for me. When I got the seeds from a sweet older lady neighbor of mine, she told me to plant them in the fall and harvest the next year. The following year, I dutifully pulled the garlic out only to find it was too small. Whoops. I left the rest of the garlic in the garden and figured I'd try again next year. I never did have time to plant more in the fall. But this spring, I notice the garlic come up again. I wasn't going to harvest them until fall, but my husband, curious guy that he is, wanted to see if it was ready. It was! To celebrate, I made lasagna and garlic bread tonight for dinner using as much fresh garlic as I dared. It was divine.

To prepare the garlic for the bread, I placed about 5 cloves into a small piece of aluminum foil and drizzled olive oil over it then pressed the foil closed. I placed it in the oven along side the lasagna and baked it for 35 to 40 minutes. When it was done, I spread it over Italian bread that I sliced in half and spread with soft butter. I broiled the bread until it was lightly browned and crispy on the edges. The flavor was so mild and buttery. So good!

"Three nickels will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat."

-New York (Yiddish or Jewish ?) Saying.