Elephant Garlic Recipes

Now, I consider myself to be a bit of a foodie, especially since having the blog and getting so many fab recipes and new products to try out, but I have to admit, I'd never heard of Elephant Garlic. Well, it's in season now and has just been harvested so you can buy it from The Garlic Farm, based on the Isle of Wight, which is not only a family run business with over 30 years experience but also the UK’s only specialist garlic grower.  

I'll let them tell you all about because they're the experts, not me ! They say :

"As the name suggests Elephant Garlic bulbs are very large with each weighing up to a whopping 400g.

 

The early Green Elephant Garlic, available now, is juicy and is mild and sweet in flavour. This will be available until the end of July and has a shelf life of up to six weeks when stored at five degrees Celsius. In mid July, dried Jumbo Elephant Garlic will become available. After this garlic has been dried, it has a mild nutty flavour with salad onion and garlic undertones. This garlic will last for six months from August.

These bulbs are perfect for baking and roasting as they maintain their shape well, or for anyone who wants to make a statement in their cooking.  Delicious when baked and simply served warm, spread on bread or crackers.

Did you know that Elephant Garlic grows wild in a few secret locations on the Cornish and Irish Atlantic coasts? This is thought to be a relic of Phoenician visitors 2,500 years ago.

Don’t miss out!  Get your mouth-watering Elephant Garlic bulbs priced at £3.90 from www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk"

If you fancy giving it a try, here are a few suggested recipes. I love the sound of the twice-baked potatoes.

OVEN BAKED GARLIC

Best done in a garlic oven but can be baked in an oven baking dish.
It will be necessary to trim the bottom of the bulb so it lies flat.
Discard loose skins and puncture with fork.
Sprinkle bulb with olive oil or butter (approx. 1 tablespoon per bulb) and season to taste.
Cover and bake at 300 degrees F. Gas Mark 2 for 60-70 minutes.
Baste several times during baking.
Delicious warm as a spread on bread or crackers.

TWICE BAKED POTATOES

Bake two potatoes.
Bake solid Elephant Garlic wrapped in foil.
Slit open potatoes and remove potato from skins.
In a bowl, mix/mash potato, elephant garlic, 2 oz butter, parmesan cheese, dash pepper, 1 tbsp
finely chopped onion, and 1 tbsp of yogurt.
Mix well and return mixture to skins, sprinkle with paprika and brown in oven under grill.

ELEPHANT GARLIC SALSA

Tomato: 1lb plum
Basil: 1 tbsp
Onion: 1/2 small
Lime: 1/4 fresh, peeled use pulp
Garlic: 1 whole Elephant Garlic
Hot Red Chile Pepper : 1 (Jalapeno or Serrano)
Green Pepper: 1/2 small
Salt: One tsp.

You can use any chopping method to get the texture you like.
Finely chop elephant garlic, chili and basil.
Chop and add the balance of ingredients using the seeds of your hot peppers to adjust heat.
Adjust ingredients to your preferred taste, after your first trial.

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