Keeping it green

One of the things we brought back from SF was what is called "green garlic." You can get this in NY, at farmers' markets too, but it isn't quite ready yet. The stuff in SF, however, was, and we love it.

So what is "green garlic?" Well, if you garden, you know that garlic is one of the more interesting plants you can grow and harvest. It goes through different stages, from a point where it is no bigger than a small scallion, to those full, dry bulbs of it you see in the fall. "Green garlic," or "spring garlic," or "young garlic," is garlic that has formed a bulb, but has not yet formed true cloves within the bulb. The green leaf that comes out of the ground is still fresh. The aroma of green garlic is, perhaps, more overpowering than any of the other forms of garlic. But the bulb itself is quite mild. It is very useful in a number of different dishes. It seems "made" for dairy products like ricotta, and also pairs beautifully with potatoes (remember the pizza I had at Greens? Or the custard we shared at Chez Panisse?). I will tell you this: I bet it confused more than one blood hound in my luggage, if in fact it was checked in that way. The bag that I carried it home with still smells of it, after being out in the air for about six hours.

I used it after we came home (for some reason, no jet lag this time), to make a pot of soup. Whenever I come back from a trip of some length, be it business or vacation, I NEED to get into the kitchen. I HAVE to cook. This is where I gather my strength, it's a way of knowing I'm "home" And soup does that for me like nothing else. This is a soup right out of the books of Chez Panisse, but it's very versatile (unlike gay men, whatever they say). I will give you the basic recipe, and then give you some ideas for what else you can do with it.

You need one pound of green garlic. That's more than you think. I thought I had tons of it, in the ten plants I brought home. In fact, I needed eight of them. You also need half a pound of potatoes, two onions, a stick of unsalted butter, and two quarts of something liquid. I used half chicken stock and half water (because I only had one quart of stock in the house), but you can use all water, or all stock, or different stocks. I think you could probably substitute some wine as well.

Examine your green garlics and if there is any skin that seems too tough to eat, peel it away. This will vary, from plant to plant. I think I had it on four of mine, and not on the others. After you've done this, slice off the root end and trash it, then slice everything else into circles. ALL THE WAY UP. You will be using the whole plant. You will also want to peel and dice the potatoes into small pieces, and also dice the onion somewhat finely.

Now, you're ready. Melt the stick of butter in a stock pot, and when it's almost done, add the onions. Cook them slowly, and watch for when they go to translucent. This is a good thing to get used to doing. When onions get to that white translucency, they lose some of their sulfuric flavors, and begin to soften in taste. Add some salt. Then add the potatoes, the garlic, and the liquid, and let the stuff come to a simmer. Go away for fifteen minutes. Check the potatoes and the garlic slices to see if they're nice and soft. If the potatoes are, but the garlic resists a little, you're okay. It will continue to cook as it cools. If the potatoes are not soft enough, cook for another five minutes.

Chez Panisse gives you the option of pureeing this soup. I wouldn't if I were you. There is something wonderfully "soul satisfying "in the rustic, chunky simplicity of the soup. But if you prefer something smoother, by all means. DO know you will have bits that you will have to strain out, because you WILL miss some of the garlic skin, and it will not puree nicely.

If this soup sounds a bit like vichissoyse, you're on the same page as I am, and the variations you can do with that French soup are all usable here. You can add dairy, if you like, or some cooked greens. I have had this soup with an egg poached onto each portion. It has to be a SMALL egg. A quail egg is nice if you're strange and have them around, but a small chicken egg will be fine, as well. So, too, would a little crumbled bacon or pancetta that you've fried.

I'm sure you can think of other things to put into this wonderful soup. For example, Annalena was wondering how it would taste with some beets in it? Hmmmmm.

Use it. It's only here for a while, so get some, try it and enjoy it. I know you will