Dig In: Garlic Week Begins

This week, we’re diving deep into the world of garlic – from bulb to bite. Whether you’re a kitchen novice or seasoned cook, these five articles will transform how you buy, store, prepare and even grow this culinary powerhouse.

Northeast Ohio home cooks have access to more garlic varieties than ever before, and understanding the differences can elevate your cooking from ordinary to extraordinary. We’ll explore everything from selecting the perfect bulb at your local grocery store to harvesting your own crop next summer.

This Week’s Schedule:

• Tuesday: Shopping smart for garlic varieties and prepared options
• Wednesday: Storage secrets that keep garlic fresh for months
• Thursday: Preparation techniques that maximize flavor
• Friday: Growing garlic in Northeast Ohio’s climate

Each day builds on the previous, creating a comprehensive guide to garlic mastery. By week’s end, you’ll understand why this ancient ingredient deserves a permanent place in your kitchen arsenal.

Many home cooks limit themselves to whatever garlic they grab first at the store, missing opportunities to match specific varieties with their cooking style. This week changes that approach forever.

A Heritage of Flavor

Garlic’s culinary importance spans cultures and centuries. Italian kitchens have built entire cooking traditions around garlic, from the simple aglio e olio pasta to complex braised dishes that begin with slowly cooking garlic in olive oil. Greek cuisine celebrates garlic in everything from skordalia – a garlicky potato spread – to marinades for grilled meats.

Mediterranean cultures understood what modern science confirms: garlic not only transforms flavor but offers health benefits that made it valuable as both food and medicine. French cooks developed aioli, while Spanish cuisine features garlic prominently in gazpacho and countless regional dishes.

Northeast Ohio’s diverse communities bring these garlic traditions together, creating demand for varieties that honor ancestral cooking while adapting to local growing conditions and available ingredients.

Many home cooks limit themselves to whatever garlic they grab first at the store, missing opportunities to match specific varieties with their cooking style. This week changes that approach forever.

Tomorrow: We start with the foundation – how to shop for garlic like a pro, including what those different bulb types actually mean for your cooking.