Great Garlic Recipes

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Whole or diced, roasted or raw, garlic is good for your tastebuds and your health! ISTOCKPHOTO

Garlic. The word alone stirs the senses with memories of powerful aromas, zesty flavors and memorable, savory meals. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't enjoy this punchy allium, and you might be surprised at the range of dishes that are improved by it. Breads, sauces, appetizers and entrees ? just about everything short of cheesecake takes on a bold, flavorful taste with this versatile kitchen staple.

But garlic does more than add flavor: It's been used for food and medicinal purposes since at least 3000 B.C., renowned for its powerful antiviral and antibacterial properties. As the realm of holistic health has grown, it's now also recommended to help prevent heart disease (it can lower cholesterol and blood pressure) and even cancer. In The Green Pharmacy, James A. Duke, Ph.D., suggests garlic to treat allergies, athlete's foot, diabetes, colds, the flu and more.

You can easily enjoy the numerous benefits of garlic, for the palate and body, by growing your own this season. Fall is a terrific time to plant garlic, and come summer you'll be rewarded with large, flavor-packed heads ready for nibbling, cooking and preserving.

Garlic is simple to grow. Good soil, full sun and watering every few days are its main requirements, and garlic doesn't attract many insects ? it can even deter them from other crops! If the plant begins to flower, snip the stalk to keep growth energy directed to the bulb instead. You'll know it's time to harvest when the tops of the stalks start to brown.

Served as an appetizer, spread on bread, or mixed in mashed potatoes, one of the simplest, most useful garlic preparations is roasted garlic. These basic recipes are adapted from Growing and Using Garlic, by Glenn Andrews.