Garlic Gourmet

For centuries, amateur and professional chefs alike have teased their palates with garlic. Don’t be afraid to broadly use this ancient seasoning.

Garlic is available everywhere, so why aren’t you using it in everything? Garlic enhances most savory dishes. The flavor impact can be subtle or strong, and garlic’s shelf life is lengthy if kept in a cool, dark pantry. Add it to all your fresh vegetable dishes and grilled meats this month. Go garlic!

Baked Garlic Soup

Yield: 4-5 servings
5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
4 medium yellow squash, chopped
3 tomatoes, peeled and diced
2 sweet onions, peeled and chopped
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, undrained
1½ cups dry white wine
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1¼ cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cups heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously grease a 3-quart Dutch oven and add the garlic, squash, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, garbanzo beans, wine, bay leaf, salt, basil, paprika and pepper. Cover and bake 1 hour. Remove and lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Meanwhile, remove and discard the bay leaf and stir in the Monterey Jack cheese, Parmesan and cream. Bake 10 minutes longer and serve warm.

Garlic Stuffed Mushroom Casserole

Yield: 8 servings
16 large whole mushrooms
1 (8-ounce) package small whole mushrooms
1 pound ground beef
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 large bulb garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup chopped almonds
2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs, divided
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
½ cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the stems of the large mushrooms and chop with the small mushrooms. Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until done and drain. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside. In the same skillet, melt 5 tablespoons of the butter. When hot, add the chopped mushrooms, garlic and almonds. Cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer to the mixing bowl and stir in 1½ cups of the breadcrumbs, along with the salt and pepper.

Line the bottom of a greased 13-by-9-inch casserole with 8 of the large mushroom caps, placing the open sides up. Stuff the beef mixture evenly and firmly into the mushrooms. Place the remaining 8 mushroom caps over the stuffing, open sides down. Sprinkle evenly with the Swiss cheese, remaining breadcrumbs and the Romano or Parmesan. Dot with the remaining butter. Bake for 30 minutes and serve warm.

Garlic Spiced Chicken

Yield: 4 servings
3 tablespoons peanut oil
3½ pounds chicken thighs
1 bulb garlic, peeled and minced
2 small dried cayenne peppers
¾ cup white vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey

Place the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, brown the chicken on all sides. Add the garlic, peppers, vinegar, soy sauce and honey and continue cooking 7-8 minutes or until the chicken is done. Serve warm with any extra sauce on the side.

Puffed Garlic Muffins

Yield: 8 servings
2 eggs, room temperature
½ cup milk, room temperature
6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼-½ teaspoon crushed dried thyme
⅛ teaspoon baking powder

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Generously grease 8 muffin cups with bacon grease and place in the oven until the fat pops. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and add the milk. Add the garlic. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, thyme and baking powder. Add to the milk mixture and beat until thoroughly blended. Remove the muf-fin pan from the oven and quickly divide the batter among the greased cups. Fill about half full and immediately return to the oven. Bake 20 minutes without opening the oven. Serve warm.

Make-Ahead Picnic Subs

Yield: 6 servings
1 large round loaf sourdough bread
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 medium sweet onion, peeled and chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 eggs, beaten
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
8 slices hard salami, diced
¾ cup chopped cooked ham
½ cup small salad shrimp
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
6 slices Swiss cheese

Slice the loaf in half horizontally and scoop out bread from both halves to form a dish-like loaf. Save the cut-out bread for another use. Sprinkle the bottom half of the loaf with the garlic and onions. Drizzle with the olive oil and set aside. Place the eggs and bell peppers in a large skillet coated generously with cooking spray over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes, then stir in the salami, ham, shrimp, chili powder, garlic powder and black pepper. Stir until the eggs are set and the mixture is hot. Spoon evenly over the reserved bottom loaf. Cover with overlapping slices of the cheese and top with the remaining bread half. Wrap tightly in foil. Allow to rest for at least 20 minutes or cool to room temperature. When ready to serve, cut in wedges.

Note: This can be made ahead of time and, if desired, warmed in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes before serving.

Vegetable Garlic Stir Fry

Yield: 4 servings
1 tablespoon peanut or sesame oil
3 small zucchini or yellow squash, sliced
4 whole mushrooms, sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 cups firm tofu, cubed
1 tablespoon soy sauce
⅓ cup oyster sauce
Hot cooked rice
Sesame seeds
1 green onion, chopped

Place the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the zucchini or squash, mushrooms, garlic and ginger. Stir-fry about 2 minutes or until the zucchini begins to brown. Add the tofu and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the soy sauce and oyster sauce, tossing to evenly coat. Cover and cook about 3 minutes. Uncover and cook another minute. Serve warm over hot cooked rice and sprinkled with sesame seeds and chopped green onions.

Potato Crusted Vegetable Pie

Yield: 6 servings
2 large baking potatoes
1 teaspoon salt, divided
3 eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 green onion, chopped
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and chopped
12 whole mushrooms, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2¼ cups grated white Cheddar
¼ cup milk

Grate the potatoes and place in a colander. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt and allow to drain for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Squeeze any excess moisture from the potatoes and combine with 1 egg. Pat into the prepared pie plate to form a crust. Bake 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When melted, add the garlic, onions, asparagus, mushrooms, basil, black pepper and remaining salt. Cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the crust from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Spread half the cheese in the baked crust, then top with the sautéed vegetables. Cover with the remaining cheese. Beat the remaining 2 eggs with the milk and pour over the vegetables. Bake 35-40 minutes or until set and golden-brown. Let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving warm.

Creamy Garlic Potato Soup

Yield: 6 servings
6 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 large baking potato, peeled and cubed
1 (14.5-ounce) can low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon white pepper
¾ cup whipping cream, room temperature
2 thin slices prosciutto, cut in strips
1 cup croutons
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Place the garlic, potatoes, stock, salt, black pepper and white pepper in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Slowly add the cream and increase the heat to medium. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. With an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Ladle into warm soup bowls and scatter strips of pro-sciutto and croutons on top. Drizzle each with oil and sprinkle with parsley. Serve warm.

Garlic Chicken

Yield: 4 servings
1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 (4-pound) chicken
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
20 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup dry white wine or stock
⅓ cup mixed fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, parsley, tarragon)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the onions and celery in the bottom of a large Dutch oven and place the chicken on top. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Scatter the garlic around the chicken and add the oil and wine or stock. Place half of the fresh herbs inside the chicken and the remaining on top of the garlic. Cover and roast 1½ hours or until the chicken is done. Serve with the garlic and pan juices.