THE CHINESE HERB GARDEN - Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard - page 127

to about 20°F, so a straw mulch is advisable over the winter in severe climates. This
enormous variety is as mild as it is big. The oversized cloves peel in a jiffy — espe-
cially if you first crush them with the flat side of a wide-bladed knife. The garlic flavor
is pleasant but not overpowering, especially useful in salads where ordinary raw garlic
might offend an unwary diner.
CULINARY USES
All of the uses described here apply to elephant garlic as well as common garlic, but
elephant garlic has a milder flavor. For cooking, peel whole garlic cloves before use.
You may prefer to crush slightly and remove from the dish before serving. If cooked
slightly in a little oil, the flavor will be distributed throughout the dish.
The curling scapes that form at the top of garlic can be used like common chives
or garlic chives. They are milder than garlic cloves and add a pretty bit of green as a
garnish on omelettes, creamed vegetables, and clear soups.
Suggestions for using the cloves, include the following:
• Blend in butter as a spread for making garlic bread.
• Mix with cottage or cream cheese, adding parsley or grated carrot for color and
additional flavor.
• Make a garlic vinegar to use in your salad dressings: simply peel a garlic clove
and drop it in a small container of vinegar; after three or four days, it will impart
a garlic flavor and can then be removed.
• Rub leg of lamb with fresh rosemary and insert slivers of garlic in slits
throughout the surface.
Garlic Chives
J IU C AI , G OW C HOY
Allium tuberosum
(color photo, page xiv)
M ost gardeners grow common chives, for both their culinary uses and their attractive
lavender blooms, which make a pretty display over a long time. Garlic chives are