Prairie Fare: Enjoy garlic? Please take our survey
“I smell garlic,” I said when I returned home after a conference a few years ago.
“When my husband came closer, the aroma increased.
“Have you been eating garlic?” I asked.
“I went to your friend’s party when you were at the conference,” he noted. “Almost all the food had garlic in it.”
“They served garlic hummus, roasted garlic, garlic bread and garlic soup,” he continued with a grin. “It was really good.”
“That sounds like quite a party,” I replied.
He must have eaten his share of garlicinfused food. He had turned into a giant clove of garlic, and the aroma was emanating from his skin.
We enjoy using garlic in cooking. We always have a jar of chopped garlic in our refrigerator for easy addition to recipes.
I often add garlic when we saute onions for various dishes. The aroma fills our house.
However, I have not eaten enough garlic to become a walking scent diffuser.
Garlic has been tied to some health benefits throughout history and found use in traditional medicine. Culinary garlic is available in various forms, including fresh garlic bulbs in the produce section, canned garlic, dried garlic flakes, garlic powder and garlic salt.
You can use garlic in soups, stews, stir-fry, salads and sauces. It can be added to marinades to add extra flavor to grilling. You can roast it as a whole bulb with some oil and use it as a spread on crackers. Garlic butter on French bread is a tasty side dish.
However, garlic-infused oil made at home could pose a food safety risk. Garlic may contain Clostridium botulinum spores. When fresh garlic is placed in oil in an air-free, warm environment, it can produce a toxin. If you decide to infuse oil with garlic, store the flavored oil in the refrigerator and use within a week.
Garlic is in the same plant family as onions, leeks, scallions and shallots. We eat about 2.5 pounds per person per year in the U.S., which pales in comparison to Korea’s 22 pounds per person per year.
To store fresh garlic, keep the cloves intact with the bulb head and store in a cool, dry, dark location in a mesh bag or in a garlic keeper. Store in a wellventilated area. Garlic may be stored three to six months in the right conditions. You also can store fresh garlic in the refrigerator if your kitchen or other storage area is very warm.
I have a special request this week, and you could win a prize. We are working on a project related to growing and using garlic. You are invited to take a survey about garlic to help us develop educational materials. Visit https://bit.ly/ndsu-garlic-survey to take the survey.
We want to find out how you use garlic in your meal planning, learn what you know about garlic, and if you grow garlic or want to learn how to grow your own garlic.
Would you help us by filling out our garlic questionnaire? It will take only a few minutes of your time, and at the end you may enter a drawing where you will have a chance to win some garlic-themed prizes.
Click on the link in this message to get started, and be sure to review the introductory statement with informed consent.
Here’s a colorful recipe with a wide variety of colorful vegetables with numerous health benefits.
Roasted Vegetables with Garlic
2 cups sweet potato, diced into 1-inch cubes
1 red onion, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups broccoli florets
1 yellow squash, sliced and quartered into 1-inch cubes
1 zucchini, sliced and quartered into 1-inch cubes
2 cups white mushrooms, halving larger pieces to match other cuts
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided (or use your favorite cooking oil)
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, divided
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place sweet potatoes in bowl and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Transfer sweet potato mixture (reserve bowl) to sheet pan and spread in single layer. Roast for about 30 minutes, then stir. Place remaining vegetables in bowl and add remaining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning and all of the minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine. Add to sweet potatoes on sheet pan. Roast 10 to 15 minutes longer or until tender. Roasting time may need to be adjusted depending on size of vegetables. Serve immediately.
Makes 12 servings. Each serving has 80 calories, 1 gram (g) fat, 2 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber and 30 milligrams sodium.