© Milan / stock.adobe.com

Power punch

Stop and smell the stinking rose

by VICKI SHANTA RETELNY

Aromatic and versatile, garlic, aka “the stinking rose,” has been used for thousands of years by many cultures to add flavour to a variety of dishes. The potent bulb is just as well regarded for its potential health benefits. Garlic has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and whether raw or in aged extracts, powder, oil or supplements, garlic may help reduce total blood cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. In addition, allicin, a compound in garlic, has been isolated as helping to lower blood pressure in hypertensive people.

Garlic can be used raw, cooked or dried and granulated. Peeled, crushed, chopped, diced or minced, fresh garlic is tasty sautéed in sauces, chili and soups, as well as puréed in pesto and hummus or whisked into salad dressings and marinades.

Garlic is often combined with herbs and spices as a rub for meat, poultry and seafood. Garlic can also be baked into breads, casseroles, quiches and savoury pies.

Garlic is ideal on its own as well. A whole garlic bulb can be drizzled with olive oil and oven-roasted; the softened cooked cloves can be spread on crusty bread.

To store whole unpeeled garlic bulbs, place them in a wire basket or ceramic bowl in a cool, dark, well-ventilated spot with dry airflow for up to six months. Separate cloves only when you’re ready to use them. Once the cloves are removed and peeled, their shelf life is about two weeks refrigerated. As garlic ages it grows green shoots that can cause a bitter taste.

In any form, garlic is an ancient food with modern medicinal and culinary uses.

---