Recipes - garlic and biscotti - Recipe

Country Living Gardener, Dec, 2001

How to prepare the dishes featured in "Meet Garlic" and "Herbal Biscotti"

meet garlic

by Rosalind Creasy and Carole Saville

garlic soup with gingerroot and star anise

Peppery star anise stands in well for cracked black pepper in this nourishing soup with an Asian flavor.

Makes 4 servings

20 cloves garlic

2 quarts chicken broth, preferably homemade

1 two-inch piece fresh gingerroot, peeled and cut into 4 slices

1 whole star anise

Salt to taste

Large handful chopped Italian parsley or cilantro for garnish

Blanch garlic cloves in boiling water for one minute. Place them in a sieve and run cold water over them. Drain, remove the base, and peel cloves.

In a large pot, combine the chicken broth, garlic, ginger, and star anise. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer partially covered for 30 minutes. Remove garlic, ginger, and star anise; discard ginger and star anise, With the back of a spoon, mash the garlic cloves through a sieve into the soup. (To help obtain every bit of puree, ladle some soup over the mashed garlic remaining in the sieve). Stir in the parsley or cilantro, and serve.

white bean salad with garlic and oregano

This is one of the few recipes where we specify a dried herb--in this case, oregano, whose essential oils are more concentrated when dried.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon very finely minced garlic

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons dried and finely crumbled oregano

Salad:

2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans

1 cup small-diced carrots

1 cup small-diced red bell pepper

Large handful chopped Italian parsley

Large leaves of lettuce or radicchio

Prepare the vinaigrette: Place the minced garlic in a small bowl. Add the sherry vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir until the salt is dissolved. Add the oil in a thin stream, whisking until an emulsion is formed. Add the oregano. Set the mixture aside for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld and garlic to mellow.

Prepare the salad: Pour the cannellini beans into a large strainer. Run cold water over them. Drain. Blanch the carrots in boiling water, then place them in a sieve. Run cold water over them, drain, then dry on a paper towel. Follow the same procedure for the red pepper, using a fresh pot of water. Combine drained beans, carrots, and peppers in a large bowl. Whisk the vinaigrette again and add to the vegetable mixture, tossing well. Allow the salad to absorb the pungent flavors for another 15 or 20 minutes. Just before serving, add the chopped parsley and toss again. Spoon the salad onto lettuce or radicchio leaves. Serve.

grilled radicchio and zucchini with agliata

Serve these garlicky vegetables with grilled chicken, steak, or fish. For a vegetarian feast, enjoy them with polenta and grilled portobello mushrooms.

Makes 4 servings

1 head roasted garlic (recipe follows)

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 cups day-old rustic Italian bread, crust removed and cubed

2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 small zucchini

1 large head radicchio

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350[degrees]F. Prepare the roasted garlic as described in the recipe below. Set aside. In a bowl mix balsamic vinegar with 1/4 cup of water. Add bread cubes and soak them for about 15 minutes or until very soft. Squeeze liquid out of the bread and place bread into the bowl of a food processor. Squeeze roasted garlic from its skin into bowl with bread. Add 1 clove of the fresh, minced garlic, and parsley. Process ingredients into a thick paste, Season with salt and pepper. Stir in 3/4 cup olive oil, a few drops at a time, to make an emulsion. (Oil will not be absorbed completely).

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and quarter the radicchio to make wedges about 2 1/2" wide. Place them in a shallow baking dish. Blend the 2 remaining cloves of minced raw garlic with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and brash zucchini and radicchio with the mixture. Season with salt and pepper and allow to marinate for at least one hour.

Grill radicchio over a medium flame, turning often so each side blackens slightly and it is tender inside, 10 to 12 minutes. At the same rime grill the zucchini halves on both sides until golden and tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a warm serving plate. (Alternatively, the vegetables may be broiled in the oven at 400[degrees]F for 6 to 10 minutes, or until golden). Serve immediately, with agliata sauce on the side.

roasted garlic appetizer

This roasted garlic can also be used as a fragrant base for sauces, and to flavor dressings, marinades, and condiments.

Makes 4 servings

4 heads garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 loaf rustic French- or Italian-style bread

Preheat oven to 400[degrees]F. Cut about 1/4" (the papery top) off the garlic head to expose the tops of the cloves. Place garlic root side down on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and roast for about 20 minutes or until lightly brown and the garlic is bubbling on top.