Today In the Kitchen: Versatile garlic

Garlic is especially good in the cool months, warming the body as it warms the kitchen with its wonderful smell.

Garlic is part of the Liliaceae family, native to Central Asia. Its botanical name is Allium sativum; allium is the healing element of the garlic plant. It has been used since the times of ancient Egyptians, when slaves who built the Great Pyramids ate great quantities of it for strength and stamina. Monks in the Middle Ages chewed it to prevent the plague. Hippocrates used the fumes to treat cancer, and Louis Pasteur reported that it killed bacteria. During World War II, when penicillin and sulfa drugs were scarce, diluted garlic solutions were used as an antiseptic to disinfect wounds of war and prevent dreaded gangrene.

The garlic bulb contains aromatic and volatile oils; hence its potent taste and smell. It contains vitamins A, B and C, healthful essential fats, and important amino acids. The natural healing compounds have antibacterial, antibiotic and antifungal qualities, and provide building blocks for enzyme production that ultimately contribute to antioxidant effects.

Garlic is a widely known cure-all, a home remedy in practically every culture in the world. It is considered a natural blood purifier, stimulant, diaphoretic, which means it induces sweating, as well as an expectorant, helping expel mucus naturally. Garlic is antispasmodic, and can calm and nourish a stressed nervous system. It is used for colds, coughs, earaches, headaches, nervous disorders, parasites, infections and to aid digestion. Externally, it can be applied to wounds to prevent infection.

Current research shows that eating garlic can help lower blood cholesterol, thereby helping cardiovascular disease. It can help reduce blood pressure, so is useful against strokes; and, amazingly enough, it can help reduce blood sugar levels, helping those with hypoglycemia, and aiding in the control of mild diabetes. Numerous researchers have shown that injections of garlic extract have slowed down growth of tumor cells in lab experiments, and even killed tumor cells in rats.

To gain the most benefit from garlic, the fresh juice is most effective, though all forms of garlic offer benefit and flavor. You can make your own medicinal garlic oil by putting eight ounces of peeled, minced garlic in a jar with enough olive oil to cover. Close the jar tightly and shake a few times a day for three days. Strain through unbleached muslin or cheese cloth and store in a cool dark place. This oil can be taken a teaspoonful an hour for infections, rubbed directly onto painful areas, or a few drops used in the ears for earaches. It can also be made into a syrup with apple cider vinegar and honey, for use with coughs, congestion, weakness, and nervous disorders.

Anything goes when it comes to garlic’s usability. It can be cooked or raw, crushed, chopped, pureed, or swallowed in a capsule. Try roasting it with beets and fennel or carrots, or add to mashed red potatoes, homemade aioli mayonnaise, bruschetta, marinara sauce, eggplant baba ghanoush, kim chi, hummus, gazpacho soup, roasted chicken, grilled salmon, turkey burgers, veggie stir fry, creamy salad dressings, or simply roasted (it turns mild and sweet).

When juiced raw, the healing factors are greatly increased, but even cooked garlic offers health benefits. For relief of cold & flu symptoms, try this: squeeze fresh garlic into a cup of hot water, add the juice of half a lemon, stir in a spoonful of honey, and drink hot, sweet relief.

Hummus (garbanzo or chickpea dip), a staple of the Middle Eastern kitchen, is a garlic lover’s dream and a good source of vegetarian protein. Hummus freezes well.

Ingredients

3 C dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1 C tahini (sesame butter)

C olive oil

1 t crushed garlic (I like to use roasted garlic)

C lemon juice

sea salt & cumin to taste

paprika, parsley and olive oil for garnish

Wash and soak the chickpeas overnight. Drain and rinse, cover with cold water and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and cook until the peas are very tender, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Drain the peas, saving the excess cooking water. Alternatively, the chickpeas can be pressure cooked for 30-45 minutes. Or, you may buy canned chickpeas and jump to the next step.

Pur/e chickpeas in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Add the tahini, garlic, half the lemon juice, olive oil, and 1 T sea salt; blend, taste, and adjust the amount of lemon juice, salt and cumin to your liking. If the mixture is too thick, thin with a little of the cooking water.

To serve, place in a shallow bowl. Dust with paprika. Make a pool of about a tablespoon of olive oil in the middle. Garnish with parsley. Serve with whole wheat pita bread, black olives, and veggie sticks.

Farmers Market Update: What’s fresh, juicy and sweet? Pineapples! Are pineapples local, you ask? Yes, where we are. USDA certified organic pineapples from Mexico have a smaller environmental footprint than those we import from far-away Hawaii. Besides, have you noticed that the pineapples you ship home from Hawaii never taste as good as the ones you have there? It’s because Hawaii holds back its top quality fruit and does not ship it. Check it out: Wednesdays from 10 to 2.

Samaya Jones is a Holistic Nutritionist and Natural Foods Personal Chef. She writes for health websites, newspapers, and teaches wine education classes. She can be reached at ncsamayaj@gmail.com.