I try not to be a stinky girl, but sometimes, I just cannot help myself. I open my mouth to utter a statement, and the sweet smell of garlic halitosis, wafts out instead. And let me tell you, I simply do not care. Especially this spring, upon the discovery of a beautiful springtime vegetable, Green Garlic.
When I spotted green garlic at Monterey Market, its wispy tendriled roots staunchly holding clumps of sandy dirt and emitting a mild garlicky fragrance from the small tangle of vegetables, I knew that I had to take home a few to cook with right away. Available for a few short months each spring, March through May, green garlic is simply the younger sibling to the more mature, bulbous variety that you may cook with everyday. This childish young’un is everything that the older counterpart is, and so much more– tender, delicate, grassy, with just a hint of garlic flavor, and the subtle crunch of a leek.
Since that fateful day, I return to the market at least weekly to feed my addiction. While the green garlic may smell like that ever stinking rose, the flavor, even when eaten raw, is complex, earthy, and not a bit overpowering. Depending on the freshness of the green garlic you obtain, it can be used almost entirely, stalk to bulbous root tip. I have served in hashes, sauteed it in pilafs, shaved it raw in vinaigrettes, or my personal favorite, quickly tossed it in a pasta.
A simple pasta, made in a flash while the spaghetti is cooking, this pasta could not be simpler, or more delicious. A few minced anchovies start the sauce out with a healthy dose of olive oil. As the anchovies melt, leaving behind a murky brown melange, in goes a good dose of crushed red pepper flakes, for a kick. Finally the star of the show, green garlic, the root end sliced thin, while the green stalk is julienned into matchstick-sized pieces, is tossed in the pan, to quickly sautee, while still remaining crisp. By this time the pasta should be finished cooking, and added to the sauce. A little pasta-cooking water, a handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and some minced parsley, salt and pepper to taste, and dinner is served.
Green garlic can be a bit difficult to find; I suggest trying to locate it at a farmer’s market, or a good green grocer’s. But for those of you who haven’t had it, seek it out– you are in for a treat! Just make sure your dining companions eat it too, and enjoy an evening of garlic halitosis together.
