Garlic

[mamadeb]

Last summer, I tried growing basil in a window box, and I got some use out of it.

The basil plants are dead now.

So. My clearning lady planted some sprouting garlic (this is why I have a cleaning lady - not to plant stuff, but to notice the sprouting garlic) in the window box.

It's growing nicely.

What do I do with it?

Comments

[gryphons-lair.livejournal.com]

You can use the tops and "baby" (green-onion-sized) garlic pretty much like you would green onion. I've got a pork with green garlic recipe I came up with last spring that would probably also work with beef or chicken. If you like, I can dig out a link when I get home, as I'm pretty sure I posted it on my LJ at the time. I know there's a picture of it in my gallery.

[cyprinella]

I *think* you let it flower and die back and then you can dig up new bulbs. Sort of like tulips.

[ataniell93.livejournal.com]

The flowers stink. OMG.

[cyprinella]

Heh. Must be why the ornamental versions are so touted as deer repellant.

[chvickers.livejournal.com]

Is it the actual plant called "sprouting garlic", or is it regular garlic that's sprouted?

The first you eat like chives, the second you let grow into cloves of garlic.

[maya-a.livejournal.com]

The tops can get very long and kind of loopy and are called scapes. They are great cut into manageable pieces and sauteed or stir fried. The taste is sharply garlicky when raw, but mellow when cooked. I became addicted to them this summer when I visited Ithaca, whose farmers' market is legend, but didn't find them when I got home.
Enjoy!

[chrysantza.livejournal.com]

Basil is very much an annual plant - mine said buhbye cruel world when the first cold snap hit.

What everyone else said about the garlic. The sprouts can be used as chives (though not raw) and you can also let some of the the sprouting bulbs be and dig up a few fresh new bulbs next spring. And do behead the flowers - they don't smell good and nothing is really gained by letting garlic set seed.