Local Food Journey

arugula, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, chard, corn, fava beans, garlic scapes, kale, lettuce, mushrooms, oregano, parsley, radishes, rhubarb, scallions, spinach, squash, strawberries, thyme, tomatoes, zucchini

All Posts including “garlic”

Invasive weed makes a great pesto!

You’ve probably seen garlic mustard during a walk at a park or pretty much anywhere in Pennsylvania. It’s an invasive, noxious weed that features broad, round-ish deep green leaves, and eventually puts up a stalk of small white flowers. It’s a hardy plant, sometimes even growing right through winter if it’s mild enough.

The plant is believed to have been brought here in the 1800s by settlers from Europe, and it has quickly spread. If left unchecked, garlic mustard can take over an ecosystem, and greatly harm native species. Deer do not care for it, so they end up eating competing plants, allowing it to spread even more efficiently.

Most biologists encourage removal of this plant when you see it on your property, and a great way to do that is harvest it to eat it, as garlic mustard is actually edible. And one way to do that is make a spring pesto with it.

Continue Reading: Invasive weed makes a great pesto!

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 03/29, 2017 at 08:59 AM

Tags: recipe | garlicmustard | spring | pesto |

Celebrate National Garlic Day with a classic dish

Attention garlic lovers: This is your day. Today is National Garlic Day, a celebration that salutes that key ingredient for so many fantastic cuisines. The pungent cloves are crushed, roasted, minced, sliced, and liquefied in a wide variety of dishes, from Thai to Chinese to Italian to Mexican, and everywhere in between. To celebrate here on Local Food Journey, we’ll share some fun facts about garlic and a classic garlic dish, the famous 40-clove garlic chicken.

Continue Reading: Celebrate National Garlic Day with a classic dish

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 04/19, 2016 at 10:25 AM

Tags: garlic | recipe | chicken | NationalGarlicDay |

It’s Time to Plant Garlic

Late fall is hardly the time you think about gardening. Usually you are putting your garden to bed by cleaning up the remnants from the summer’s growing season. But as you clean up, remember that planting small cloves of garlic will yield big garlic bulbs next summer!

Garlic is probably the easiest plant to grow. I was told by a vendor from the Downtown State College Framers Market (the one on Fridays) that NOW is the time to plant garlic. She grows organic garlic and sells bags of bulbs (about 10 in each bag) for $6. That was more than I needed to plant, but since I forgot to plant garlic last year, I am using the rest for cooking this fall.

Continue Reading: It’s Time to Plant Garlic

Posted by LacCreta Holland on 11/23, 2015 at 09:06 AM

Tags: gardening | garlic |

Now is the time to plant garlic

While you can plant garlic in the very early spring, between now and late October is the best time to get your garlic bulbs in the ground. By planting garlic now, you can get bigger, better quality bulbs next summer.

There are several basic types of garlic:

- Softneck: This variety of garlic generally does not produce scapes, those delicious edible flower stalks, but is great for braiding. You have to be cautious when selecting a variety with softneck types as not all varieties can handle our cold climate.

- Hardneck: These do produce scapes, and generally handle our cold climate well. One of my favorite types of garlic, the purple stripe variety, is a hardneck garlic.

- Elephant: This variety of garlic is related to leeks, and is famous for its large, mild cloves. Does need a mulch to make it through the winter.

Continue Reading: Now is the time to plant garlic

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 09/23, 2014 at 07:28 AM

Tags: gardening | garlic |

Garlic lover? Then try this garlic pot roast recipe…

With the closing of the recent Garlic Festival in Pocono I was reminded of the many festivals I attended in Gilroy in SoCal. Now I am a garlic lover, not to the extreme I like garlic ice cream, but I do love the pungent little relative to the onion. What you didnâ€™t know that PA had their own Garlic Festival? Check them out at http://www.poconogarlic.com/. We used to load up a van and head to the Gilroy Garlic Festival every year. You could smell the festival miles before you ever got there. Being the foodie I am I headed straight to the food booths. There was always some new and unique recipe I could pick up there.

Continue Reading: Garlic lover? Then try this garlic pot roast recipe…

Posted by James Sechrengost on 09/23, 2013 at 07:29 AM

Tags: recipe | garlic | potroast |

Early June Field Notes + Recipe for Garlic Scape Pesto

Very well watered would best describe the condition in the fields. Thankfully we have most of the newly planted summer crops on raised beds, which keep the plants up and out of the saturated earth. The black plastic we use to cover the raised beds keeps the soil temperature a bit warmer, the weeds at bay, and the moisture in—all good things if you are a heat loving tomato, pepper, or eggplant.

Continue Reading: Early June Field Notes + Recipe for Garlic Scape Pesto

Posted by Kim Tait on 06/08, 2012 at 06:59 AM

Tags: fieldnotes | recipe | spring | garlic |

Fall Garlic Fun on the Farm

It is now late fall on the farm, and the last vegetables have been harvested. Time to sit by the fire, do our nails, and dream of spring, right? Yes? Shows how much you know about life on an organic vegetable farm.

Now is the time to plant next yearâ€™s garlic. Notice the nifty planting grid our intrepid intern Hannah is using to make sure the cloves are properly spaced. If you squint and look at the front of the wooden form, youâ€™ll discover both some intact garlic bulbs and some individual cloves ready to stick into the soil.

Continue Reading: Fall Garlic Fun on the Farm

Posted by James Eisenstein on 11/14, 2011 at 08:59 AM

Tags: fieldhand | farm | garlic |

Change is in the Air and a Recipe for Vegetable Soup

The unusually wet and cool weather of mid-September must be a prelude to a fabulous Indian Summer coming our way. Nature has its signals in every season, and the fall is no exception. The dizzying activity of insects and migrating birds, the prolific blooming of goldenrod and asters, and the breathtaking color transformation of the native Sumac all confirm the change that is in the air. And even though the tomatoes are slowly slipping away, the abundant greens, hearty squashes, pears and more, are ready to make their debut and step in where the others are leaving off. Oh, how lucky we are!

Continue Reading: Change is in the Air and a Recipe for Vegetable Soup

Posted by Kim Tait on 09/19, 2011 at 10:16 AM

Garlicky Bread Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes and Sweet Corn

Tomatoes of all shapes and colors are still in abundance at the local markets. Pick up a box and let us know how you use them! Share your recipe by August 31st for your chance to win a $25 gift Elk Creek Cafe + Aleworks in Millheim.

Continue reading for one of Kristin’s favorite simple late summer recipes.

Continue Reading: Garlicky Bread Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes and Sweet Corn

Posted by Kristin Camplese on 08/25, 2011 at 02:21 PM

Field Notes: Summer Garlic and a Recipe for Pepper Packets

Itâ€™s the middle of summer, and that means itâ€™s time for garlic! From spring garlic to garlic scapes, and fresh garlic to stored bulbsâ€¦ it’s one of our favorite year-round crops. And now is the time to hurry up and get it out of the ground and hang it to cure.

Continue Reading: Field Notes: Summer Garlic and a Recipe for Pepper Packets

Posted by Erin McKinney on 08/02, 2011 at 04:18 PM

Garlic Harvest

There are several milestones during the year that mark dramatic shifts in the growing season. For me, itâ€™s always the garlic harvest, which coincides with the first full week of summer. The harvest brings to a close the long wait for the king of alliums that started back in November when the final clove was tucked in the ground for the winter.

Garlic is a precise, no-nonsense crop that sticks to its preordained schedule whether you like it or not. Itâ€™s not going to wait around for a distracted farmer to fit it in to his daily planner. Wait a week too long and tough luck, itâ€™s on to its next phase of development without so much as a by-your-leave.

Continue Reading: Garlic Harvest

Posted by Tony Ricci on 06/29, 2011 at 11:06 AM

Tags: garlic | farming |

Green Garlic Pesto

Green garlic is the early spring garlic that eventually turns into the normal bulbs of garlic that we all use day to day. Demand for green garlic is growing as more restaurants have added it to their menus and people have discovered its mild, but distinct, flavor. It is still primarily available at farmers markets and farm stands, but you may also spot it at gourmet markets. This pesto recipe is the perfect celebration of the arrival of green garlic. Serve it over pasta or spoon it onto grilled bread. Enjoy!

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Posted by Steve Spanelli on 05/31, 2011 at 10:31 AM

Tags: recipe | spring | garlic |

Field Notes: Cold, Wet Days

Erin McKinney is one of two full-time farmers at Tait Farm in Centre Hall who oversees the fieldwork for the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, Community Harvest. Find out from Erin what is “growing on” in the fields at Tait Farm this week.

Continue Reading: Field Notes: Cold, Wet Days

Posted by Emily Wiley on 04/15, 2011 at 02:01 PM

Pesto and Prosciutto Pizza

Try homemade pizza tonight in place of delivery. It will be hot out of the oven in the same amount of time a cardboard box could arrive on your doorstep—and it’s much more satisfying.

What are your favorite pizza toppings?

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Posted by Christina Barkanic on 02/15, 2011 at 10:36 AM

Tags: recipes | winter | broccoli | garlic |

Ravioli Soup

Thereâ€™s nothing more satisfying than a tasty soup to warm up a cold, snowy day. This flavor-packed soup will definitely do the trick, not to mention, itâ€™s very simple to make!

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Posted by Christina Barkanic on 02/03, 2011 at 11:54 AM

Roasted Butternut Squash Orzo

December dinners tends to be hearty and heavy, and sometimes we need a break from weighty winter food. Enter roasted butternut squash orzo with wilted spinach and dried cranberries.

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Posted by Emily Wiley on 12/15, 2010 at 12:59 PM

Vegetable Broth

During this time of year, I often have a lot of vegetables hanging out in my refrigerator. What is one of the easiest ways to use up 5 lbs. of turnips, carrots, beets, squash, onions, and garlic? Vegetable broth. This recipe is highly adaptable; start with the one below and add in any extra veggies you have laying around. It will be perfect for risottos and sauces throughout the winter.

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Posted by Jessica Reilley on 10/20, 2010 at 10:26 AM

Here is a quick and easy pasta salad, perfect for the summer to fall transition time. It can be served either hot or cold and pairs well with heavy wheat beer.

Posted by Michele Frank on 08/25, 2010 at 11:33 AM

New Potatoes with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

This quick recipe is a tangy, savory way to spice up roasted potatoes.

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Posted by Jessica Reilley on 08/02, 2010 at 12:24 PM

Tags: recipe | summer | potatoes | garlic |

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Slaw

This light, creamy dressing is great not only on cabbage and coleslaw, but also on salads and fresh vegetables, like cucumbers.

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Posted by Jessica Reilley on 07/26, 2010 at 01:59 PM

Garlic Scape Pesto

We received about half a pound of garlic scapes two weeks ago from our CSA. Even though I’ve seen and heard of scapes, I wasn’t sure what part of the garlic plant the scape came from.

Continue Reading: Garlic Scape Pesto

Posted by Jessica Reilley on 07/12, 2010 at 02:44 PM

Tags: recipe | summer | garlicscape |