FOODWORTHY

Roasted garlic sounds like a no brainer.   All too often though the result is bitter, inedible mush.  Roasting at a high temperature as you would for most vegetables just doesn’t work for garlic.  The secret is low and slow, as in temperature and time.  The result is a garlic deeply flavored and slightly sweet.

Ingredients

1 head of garlic

1 tsp olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 325.
2. Remove just enough off the top of the garlic so all cloves can be covered in olive oil.
3. Drizzle with half of the olive oil, let saturate, and drizzle with remaining olive oil.
4. Wrap in tin foil and cook for one hour or until garlic is golden and some of the larger cloves have popped slightly from the paper.

Maggie Beer: Australia's Alice Waters

Verjuice; Verjus: An acidic, slightly sour liquid made from unripe grapes, though less commonly from apples.  The origin is French (vert jus), for green juice, and takes its name from the green grapes that were thinned from the vine before ripening, resulting in a high-acid and low-sugar grape.  Similar to lemon juice or vinegar, verjuice is used in the preparation of sauces, salad dressings, with mustards to boost flavor, and as a deglazer.  A staple of the Middle Ages, it has recently made a comeback.  The Australian cook Maggie Beer has popularized it more recently, making it a rather common ingredient in Australian restaurants. Known as ab-ghooreh in Persian cusine, it is still popular in Northern Iranian and Azerbaijani cuisine, as well as in Syria where it’s Arabic name is husroum. Verjuice can be refrigerated for up to three months.

"You got it backwards, Dill," said Jem. "Clowns are sad, it's folks that laugh at them."

Ingredients

8 oz. container of Greek style yogurt

1/2 TBL extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

juice of half a lemon

1/2 cup grated cucumber

1 tsp fresh dill

Mix all ingredients together

Tips

• I used a micro-plane/rasp to mince the garlic.
• It is very important to wring out all of the water from the cucumber, and then wring it out again.  And again.  Cucumber has a high water content and you do not want it diluting the taste of your tzatziki.
• It is best if let to settle in the fridge for at least a few hours – even make it a day ahead.
• Greek style yogurt can now be found in most supermarkets.  Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods also carry various brands.

* The quote is To Kill A Mockingbird

Ingredients

3 TBL unsalted butter

¾ cup chopped white onion

1 bay leaf

1 tsp red pepper flakes

¼ tsp salt

4 cloves garlic

3 TBL tomato paste

2 TBL sun dried tomatoes

¼ cup red wine

Zest of 1/2 lemon, or more to taste

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes (I used Carmelina San Marzano)

2 tsp sugar

½ cup heavy cream

1. Melt butter over medium heat.
2. Add onions, bay leaf, pepper flakes, and salt.  Cook until onions are translucent (8-10 min.)
3. Increase heat to Medium High and add the garlic, stirring constantly as to not burn the garlic, about 30 sec.
4. Add the tomato paste and sun dried tomatoes.  Stir for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in wine and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes.
6. Turn heat to low and add tomatoes and lemon zest.  Cook on low for 30 minutes.  The sauce will thicken as it cooks down.
7. Take off heat and stir in cream, sugar, salt, and pepper.

2/3 cup light mayo

1/4 cup honey

2 tbl + 1 tsp Grey Poupon

1 tsp white vinegar

salt to taste

freshly squeezed lime to taste

Whisk to combine.