Garlic

You couldn’t get away from it, and most people didn’t want to. Some had come many miles, even from other countries, to expose themselves for one weekend to the overpowering aroma of Allium sativum, better known as garlic.

Legend says that Gilroy, the garlic capital of the world, makes its title evident as soon as one nears the town. And that is true, at least during the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival, when thousands of pounds of the bulbous seasoning are processed for garlic bread, pesto, stuffed mushrooms and other zesty delicacies sold at festival stands.

This year, the aroma reached full strength by Day Two, pungently enveloping the town and extending well beyond. Much of it came from Gourmet Alley, a row of seven stands where volunteer chefs put 5,000 pounds of garlic into prodigious quantities of food. And that was only part of the garlic consumed, for there were 80 additional stalls selling barbecued oysters with garlic sauce, garlic barbecued turkey legs, Gilroy garlic sausage, pizza with garlic and cheese and other highly seasoned dishes.

In the wine-tasting tent, sippers inhaled the intense bouquet of garlic-flavored dinner wine made by Rapazzini, a local winery. For dessert there was garlic-flavored ice cream. And for personal adornment, there was Garlique, a perfume ballyhooed as “the shameless scent of desire that delicately masks the odor of Scope on your breath.” The perfume’s garlic juice base and rose bouquet amounted to an olfactory rendition of garlic’s nickname, “the stinking rose.”

This year, the three-day festival, held July 25-27, attracted 142,000, setting a new attendance record. In addition to eating, the garlic lovers bought garlic braids and wreaths, garlic-themed pins, place mats, aprons, hats and potholders, garlic presses and cookbooks laden with garlic recipes. They drank from garlic mugs and garlic wine glasses. And they wore garlic T-shirts, including a red, white and blue model emblazoned with the Statue of Liberty holding aloft a head of garlic and promising “Liberty & Garlic for All.”

Eight finalists, including one from New York, paid their way to compete in a garlic cooking contest that had attracted entries from as far as Paris. Winner Bob Salyers of Monterey prepared ravioli with a cheese-and-garlic filling topped with garlic bechamel sauce and shrimp. Salyers almost missed the cook-off because he forgot his ravioli form and turned back just north of Prunedale to get it.

Top prize was $500 and a garlic crown. “This is the first recipe I ever wrote down. I just picked the things I thought would go with garlic,” Salyers said.

The second-place award of $300 went to Roxanne E. Chan of Albany, Calif., for eggplant slices topped with Italian sausage and garlic-seasoned meringue and surrounded by garlicky red pepper cream.

Ira J. Jacobson of Oakland came in third and won $200 for noodles that were colored green with spinach, flavored with fresh garlic and topped with an onion and garlic sauce sweetened with honey and Marsala wine. Jacobson munches on raw garlic cloves while cooking.

The dishes were judged on appearance and presentation, flavor and how well they used garlic. Although she didn’t win, Patty Filice of Gilroy made a strong impression in the last category. Filice used four heads of garlic in a soup that tasted amazingly garlic-free. By roasting the garlic for an hour, she had reduced it to a powerless, creamy puree.

Gilroy garlic boosters explained that 90% of the nation’s commercial garlic crop is grown in California, and most of it passes through Gilroy for fresh packing and shipping or processing. However, the bulk of the crop no longer is grown there because soil conditions have made it necessary to rotate the land to vegetables.

Other growing areas are the San Joaquin and Imperial valleys, and seed is raised in Oregon and Nevada. California has early and late crops of garlic; the early harvest starts toward the end of May and yields larger cloves than the late harvest in July. The garlic festival celebrates the end of the harvest.

The following recipes sample the skills of Gilroy garlic cooks. They start with Salyers’ prize-winning ravioli recipe and Filice’s garlic roasting method. Upside-Down Garlic Bomb, entered in the contest by Paul La Combe of Paris, was named the best foreign entry although distance prevented La Combe from participating in the cook-off.

Recipe demonstrations apart from the contest featured John Bautista’s ginger chicken wings (see related story below) and Val Filice’s ground-beef patty variation on the Italian stuffed steak called braciole.

Steak sandwiches and stuffed mushrooms were among the dishes that drew long lines to the stands at Gourmet Alley. The recipes appear in “The Garlic Lovers Cookbook Volume II” along with contest recipes from 1982 through 1984. Volume I contains recipes from 1979, the year the festival started, through 1981. The books can be ordered by mail. Prices are $13.95 spiral-bound or $9.97 paperback for either book and include tax, postage and handling. Send check or money order to Gilroy Garlic Festival, P.O. Box 2311, Gilroy, Calif. 95021. Allow six to eight weeks for delivery.

Garlic dishes served at local restaurants include Gamberetti di Pomodoro from Sandrino’s Ristorante in Gilroy. This Italian-style dish of shrimp cooked with wine, garlic, tomato, basil and butter was created by 24-year-old chef Alex Larson, who owns the restaurant with his brother Charles, 25.

The final recipe, for a dip that can also be used as a salad dressing, is from Garlic World, a large shop selling food items, garlic accessories and novelties. Garlic World, owned by the Christopher Ranch, and Rapazzini Winery’s Garlic Shoppe and tasting room are a short distance apart on U.S. 101, south of Gilroy.

BOB SALYER’S GARLIC-CHEESE RAVIOLI WITH SHRIMP

(First Prize)

3 cups flour

3 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 to 2 tablespoons water

Garlic-Cheese Filling

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked

Garlic-Bechamel Sauce

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Mix flour, eggs and olive oil. Add water as needed to form pasta dough. Roll out oblong sheets of dough to fit ravioli form. Dough should be rolled thin. Lay first sheet on form. Top each square with about 1 teaspoon Garlic-Cheese Filling. Brush dough between filling with water. Top with second sheet of pasta and roll to form ravioli.

Use at once or freeze for later use. Before serving, boil fresh ravioli about 15 minutes and frozen ravioli about 22 minutes. With slotted spoon, gently place hot ravioli on plate. Top with some of shrimp. Cover with Garlic-Bechamel Sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Makes about 4 dozen ravioli or 6 to 8 servings.

Garlic-Cheese Filling

12 large cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

3/4 pound whole milk ricotta cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped chives

1 egg, beaten

Saute garlic, Italian seasoning and pepper in olive oil until garlic browns. Drain off oil. In large bowl, mix ricotta and Parmesan cheese, garlic mixture, chives and egg. Use to fill pasta. Freeze any remaining filling for use in other dishes. Makes 2 cups.

Garlic-Bechamel Sauce

6 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Saute garlic in oil and set aside. Melt butter in saucepan over low heat or in top of double boiler. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk. Cook over low heat or simmering water, if using double boiler, stirring constantly until sauce thickens. Stir in salt, pepper and garlic. Use as needed. Refrigerate remainder. Makes 2 cups.

PATTY FILICE’S ROAST GARLIC

Place whole heads of garlic on baking sheet sprayed with non-stick vegetable coating. Brush with olive oil or spray with non-stick coating. Bake at 350 degrees 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until lightly browned and garlic is tender. Squeeze garlic from pods. Use in cooking, or spread on bread as appetizer.

UPSIDE-DOWN GARLIC BOMB

2 tablespoons butter

20 cloves garlic, peeled

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can chicken broth

3 to 4 medium onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 tablespoon chopped basil

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon crushed rosemary

6 eggs

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Freshly ground pepper

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet over low heat. Add garlic and cook slowly until edges are golden. Place garlic in baking dish. Add 3/4 cup chicken broth. Cover and bake at 375 degrees 1 hour. Add remaining broth as needed to keep garlic from drying out. Heat remaining tablespoon butter in skillet. Add onions, basil, parsley and rosemary and cook slowly until onions are slightly browned, about 1 hour. Stir in baked garlic. Spoon onion mixture evenly over bottom of 10-inch iron skillet.

Beat eggs until thick and frothy. Add cream, cheeses and dash pepper and beat until combined. Pour slowly over onion mixture in skillet. Bake at 450 degrees 30 minutes. Invert skillet on large serving platter so that onion mixture is on top of unmolded dish. Cut into wedges to serve. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

GARLIC FESTIVAL STEAK SANDWICHES

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

8 green peppers, seeded and quartered

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

Salt, pepper

8 French rolls

Basic Garlic Butter

3/4 pound top sirloin steak, barbecued or broiled to desired degree of doneness

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add peppers, onion, garlic and season to taste with salt and pepper. Saute until vegetables are tender. Halve rolls and brush with Basic Garlic Butter. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until lightly toasted or toast under broiler or over barbecue. Cut steak into thin slices. Place some of steak slices on bottom half of each roll. Top with green pepper mixture and other half of roll. Makes 8 sandwiches.

Basic Garlic Butter

1/2 cup butter

2 to 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

Cream butter. Add garlic and beat until fluffy. Makes 1/2 cup.

GOURMET ALLEY’S STUFFED MUSHROOMS

20 mushrooms

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

4 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons softened butter

Clean mushrooms and remove stems, leaving cavity for stuffing. Combine parsley, cheese, garlic and butter. Place about 1 tablespoon stuffing in each mushroom. Place mushrooms in baking pan and broil 6 inches from heat source 4 to 5 minutes, or until mushrooms are cooked but still firm. Do not overcook.

GINGER CHICKEN WINGS A LA BAUTISTA

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup sugar

5 cloves garlic, sliced

1 tablespoon grated ginger root

3 tablespoons oil

10 cloves garlic

1/4 cup sliced sliced ginger root

2 pounds chicken drumettes

1 tablespoon lightly toasted sesame seeds

Green onion flowers for garnish, if desired

Combine soy sauce, wine, sugar, sliced garlic and grated ginger root in saucepan and heat slowly until blended. Keep warm.

Heat wok over high heat. Add oil, then add 10 cloves garlic and sliced ginger root and stir-fry a few moments. Add chicken drumettes and stir-fry until browned. Add half of soy sauce mixture. Cover and simmer until drumettes are fork tender, about 15 minutes. Add reserved sauce as needed. When wings are tender, remove from wok with slotted spoon. Serve garnished with sesame seeds and green onion flowers. Makes 6 servings.

VAL FILICE’S BRACIOLE

(Fried Ground Beef Patties)

1 pound ground beef

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup bread crumbs

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon oregano

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup water

Dash crushed dried chiles

Salt, pepper

Oil for frying

Combine ground beef, garlic, bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, basil, oregano, eggs, water, chiles and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well. Heat oil 1/4 inch deep in large heavy skillet. Fry patties in oil until browned on both sides. Makes 4 servings.

SANDRINO’S GAMBERETTI DI POMODORO

(Shrimp in Tomato Sauce)

20 large shrimp

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped white onion, scant

12 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup chopped peeled, seeded Italian plum tomatoes

2 cups white wine

10 thin lemon slices, halved

4 teaspoons chopped basil

1/2 cup butter

Salt, pepper

Peel shrimp but leave on tails. Remove sand veins. Heat large skillet over highest possible heat. Add olive oil and heat until oil smokes. Add shrimp and toss until pink. Remove. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is tender and garlic is lightly browned. Add tomatoes, wine, lemon slices and basil and reduce until sauce is almost dry. Add butter and blend with sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return shrimp to skillet and mix with sauce. Serve at once. Makes 4 servings.

CHRISTOPHER RANCH DILL DIP

2/3 cup mayonnaise

2/3 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon minced onion

1 teaspoon minced parsley

1 teaspoon dill weed

1 teaspoon beau monde seasoning

1/2 teaspoon bottled crushed garlic

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, onion, parsley, dill weed, beau monde and garlic. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve as dip with vegetables, as salad dressing or baked potato topping. Makes 1 1/4 cups.