May The Stinky Rose Be With You!

Garlic - Allium sativum -  "Oh, that miracle clove! Not only does garlic taste good, it cures baldness and tennis elbow, too." - Laurie Burrows Grad.  In recent test tube studies garlic has been found to have antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal activity. However, these actions are less clear in humans. Garlic is also claimed to help prevent heart disease (including atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure and cancer.)

Photo by ana traina in East Chatham

I saw this house with its drying garlic as I was driving through East Chatham the other day. I simply had to stop and take a picture. 

Now, not so long ago in the western world the most well known garlic lore is probably its use against vampires. European folklore also gives garlic the ability to ward off the "evil eye". Dreaming that there is "garlic in the house" is supposedly lucky; to dream about eating garlic means you will discover hidden secrets. 

The herbalist Culpepper linked garlic with the planet Mars, a fiery planet also connected with blood. Roman soldiers ate garlic to inspire them and give them courage; Egyptian slaves were fed garlic to keep their strength up. Homer reported that Ulysses owed his escape from Circe to "yellow garlic."

In the account of Korea's establishment as a nation, gods were said to have given mortal women with bear and tiger temperaments an immortal's black garlic before mating with them. This is a genetically unique six-clove garlic that was to have given the women supernatural powers and immortality. This garlic is still cultivated in a few mountain areas today.

There is a Mohammedan story that when Satan left the Garden of Eden, garlic appeared where his left foot rested and onion under his right. The Christian Bible also mentions garlic - [Numbers 11: 4-6] and the Talmud recommends it to be eaten on a Friday night.

An Indian legends tell of battles between the devas and the asuras with garlic being a source of argument. The Laws of Manu forbade eating garlic - along with leeks, onions and mushrooms - as unclean. Garlic was forbidden from certain sacred places.

The Tibetan monks were forbidden from entering the monasteries if they had eaten garlic.These prohibitions against garlic are possibly connected with its long-standing reputation as an aphrodisiac.  This is presumably a result of its tendency to "inflame" rather than its smell!  Garlic thus occupies an ambiguous place in world lore. It is generally recognized as healthy - but often apparently considered too healthy for polite society.

"The air of Provence was particularly perfumed by the refined essence of this mystically attractive bulb." - Alexandre Dumas

photo by ana traina of her homegrown garlic

As I was flipping through some old cookbooks I came across this peculiar recipe that can be served as an accoutrement atop mashed potatoes or a piece of meat for a creamy contrast and a surprising zing to any meal. My adventurous spirit was peaked, I thought I might give it a go! how about you? 

The Curious and Savory Garlic Ice Cream Recipe 

by Monica Glass 

Yields 1 quart

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
6 egg yolks
1 tablespoon honey
Pinch of salt
Pinch of white pepper

Equipment

Ice cream machine

Preparation

In a saucepan, gently heat the milk, cream and garlic just until steaming and small bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Remove from the heat, cover, and let infuse for 20 minutes.

Place a medium-sized bowl inside of a larger bowl filled with ice water. Set aside.

Half-fill a clean saucepan with water and heat over medium heat until just simmering. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and honey until smooth and pale yellow. Reheat the cream mixture just until it begins to steam, not letting it boil, and in a slow and steady stream, add it into the yolks, whisking briskly as you pour.

[Chef’s Note: This step is called tempering the eggs. Slowly bring the eggs up to temperature by adding a little hot liquid at a time so as not to shock, and cook them by adding the hot liquid all at once.]

Stir the mixture together thoroughly and then place the bowl over the saucepan of simmering water. Stir slowly but constantly until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, but do not bring to a boil or it will most likely curdle. Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the ice cream base into the medium bowl that is set in the larger bowl of ice water. Let cool completely and then freeze the custard in an ice-cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

All I can say is Yum, Yum, Yum!