My backyard is looking a bit barren since I cleaned out the four raised beds and covered the bare soil with mown grass clippings and leaves. I did leave the nasturtiums that were still blooming. Their vibrant yellow and orange flowers, and large light-green leaves really stand out now that they are not overwhelmed by tall zinnias and pepper plants. In another bed, the lacy, yellow-green fronds of asparagus are still waving. The asparagus did well for the first year, putting up many stalks throughout the summer. It will be hard next year not to cut the spring spears and just let them go to seed — again! In order to develop hardy, productive asparagus crowns, it is recommended that the spears not be harvested for the first two years.

In preparation for next year’s crops, I planted some garlic cloves a few weeks ago. In September, I attended the Maine Organic Farmer’s and Gardener’s Association (MOFGA) Common Ground Fair in Unity, Maine. What a fabulous three-day event that is, with about 60,000 visitors and hundreds of vendors. I visited with a couple who raise a couple dozen kinds of garlic. They recommended I try three kinds —  all hardneck varieties — Romanian Red, Georgian Crystal and Phillips. I’m anticipating the moment next summer when I can gently dig the heads and sample the different flavors of the garlics.

My last gardening chore is to find a way to protect the lavender I planted on the south side of the house next to the foundation. It's a great location for heat loving herbs, and they have done well. But I want them to survive the winter. I’m considering cutting the lavender and other herbs back and covering them with upturned flower pots stuffed with leaves for insulation. I’ll let you know how that works.

In the meantime, it soon will be time to peruse the garden catalogs and make lists for next year’s garden. Wishing you a bountiful Thanksgiving!

Photo from Fotolia

Did you know that myrrh can be used as an astringent or for high cholesterol? In all honesty, I've rarely encountered the herb outside of Nativity stories or holiday candle catalogs, but I love reading about its practical applications — aside from air fresheners — for modern life. While there's no doubt that modern medicine has offered invaluable discoveries and treatments, there's also a real value to natural solutions that have been tested for generations. Our sister publication The Herb Companion has recently published an interesting article about modern uses for herbs that have been valued for centuries as a part of beauty regimens, rituals and ceremonies, and for their hygienic and medicinal properties. Written by James A. Duke, Ph.D., the article discusses both the history of, and modern applications for, aloe, flax, frankincense, garlic, myrrh, milk thistle and turmeric.

For some fascinating, useful reading, check out the complete article, Ancient Herbs, Modern Uses.

Garlic is one of Mother Nature's most versatile herbs, with qualities both culinary and medicinal. It's one of the easiest plants you can grow, and it also happens to be one of the few things you should plant right now — in the fall. (Unless you live in Wasilla, Alaska, in which case it's probably too late for you this season — but feel free to bookmark this article for next year!)

GROWING GARLIC
For those of you with still-unfrozen ground, here are a few resources to help you get started:

• Plant Now for Great Garlic 
• Plant Garlic this Fall 
• Gourmet Garlic from the Ground Up 
• Growing Garlic Scapes 
• Garlic: A Plant to Love 
• Harvest Time and Planting Time 
• Garlic Seed Sources 
• A Few of My Favorite Garlics 

GARLIC FOR HEALTH
Garlic is one of nature's greatest nutritional powerhouses. Learn more about the long list of battles it fights so well:

• Great-tasting Garlic is Good for Your Heart 
• Garlic and Your Health 
• Garlic: Nature's Gift for Life 

GARLIC IN THE KITCHEN
And now for some super garlic recipes to put those beautiful bulbs to work:

• Garlic Scapes 
• More on Scapes 
• Garlicky Bruschetta
• Extra-creamy Roasted Garlic Guacamole 
• How to Roast Garlic
• Easy Refrigerator Pickled Garlic
• Make Your Own Garlic Powder 
• Great Garlic Recipes 
• Garlic Makes It Good 

Love garlic/Don't cook? Check out these Specialty Garlic Restaurants.

I got some lovely garlic scapes in my CSA bundle from Roxbury Farm last week, and finally got around to making Will Weaver's garlic scapes recipe that we featured in the Kitchen Garden department of Mother Earth News a couple years ago. Man, what a treat! The recipe seems simple, however the flavors are anything but! If you can get your hands on some garlic scapes from a local farm while they're in season, be sure to try this recipe.

Sauteed Garlic Scapes

I came across another intriguing recipe, for garlic scape pesto, but haven't tried it yet. If you know of more ways to use scapes, by all means, share the love! Just post your ideas and recipes in the comments section below.

Photo by Tabitha Alterman

Bob Anderson lives in the hill country of Bangs, Texas, where he grows several exceptional garlic varieties. His farm, Gourmet Garlic Gardens, has trialed more than 80 different varieties over the years. At any given time, you can purchase about 40 different kinds through his Web site, gourmetgarlicgardens.com. According to Bob, 'The age of designer garlic breath has arrived.'

If anyone loves garlic, it's Bob! Who else could be heard saying things like:

'Garlic is life.'

'Anytime you run into somebody who has garlic breath, that person is almost always smiling.'

'Garlic just makes you feel good.'

In the following video, he discusses the peaceful, easy feeling growing garlic brings him.

For more great garlicky resources, check out the following:

• Garlic and Your Health
• Specialty Garlic Restaurants
• Garlic Seed Sources
• Plant Garlic this Fall
• Plant Now for Great Garlic
• Garlic Scapes
• Growing Garlic Scapes

And now for some super garlic recipes:

• Make Your Own Garlic Powder
• How to Roast Garlic
• Extra-creamy Roasted Garlic Guacamole Recipe
• Easy Refrigerator Pickled Garlic
• Garlicky Bruschetta Recipe
• Great Garlic Recipes

If you're the type that enjoys a good garlic appetizer, garlicky salad, garlic entree, garlic beverage, and maybe even a garlic dessert, you'll want to find time to visit the world's best garlic restaurants.

Garlic & Shots (several locations in Europe)

Garlic Jo's (Corona Del Mar, CA)

Garlic Rose Bistro (two locations in New Jersey)

Garlic's Restaurant (London, Ontario)

Gorikee Garlic Fusion (Woodland Hills, CA)

Honey Garlic (Ajax, Ontario)

Ninniku-Ya, The Garlic Restaurant (Honolulu)

The Stinking Rose (San Fransisco, Los Angeles)

The Garlic (New Smyrna Beach, FL)

If you know of even  more garlic-themed restaurants, please tell us about them by using the comments section below. We just can't get enough!

This classic Italian starter (which is actually pronounced 'broo-sket-ta' and not 'broo-shet-ta'), almost always has a generous dose of raw garlic. If you absolutely must, you can tame the garlic bite a bit by adding the topping to the bread before popping it into the oven.

1 head raw garlic

5 tbsp cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil (You can really taste the olive oil in this recipe, so use a good one!)

4 fresh tomatoes

3/4 cup basil, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 freshly baked baguette

1/2 cup pine nuts

Peel garlic and dice into tiny pieces. Toss with olive oil in a bowl. Slice the tomatoes, discarding juice and seeds, then dice. Add to the bowl along with a half cup of the basil and stir to coat with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside to marinate for at least an hour.

Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet on medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes. Slice the baguette in half lengthwise, then cut into 3/4-inch wide pieces. Arrange on an oven-safe pan. Warm the bread in a 300-degree (Fahrenheit) oven for about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a serving platter, if desired.

Scoop garlic-tomato mixture over each piece, then sprinkle with pine nuts and chopped basil. Serve immediately.

This recipe is loved even by those who claim to hate garlic, onions and avocados. It's sweet, spicy, salty and creamy, and brings out the best of the avocado flavor. It's important to prepare this dish while people are waiting for it, and here's why: Even though they may not like the smell of onions and garlic on your breath, they'll be salivating at the smells wafting from your kitchen as you roast garlic and caramelize onions at the same time!

1 head garlic, roasted (see How to Roast Garlic)
1 small sweet onion (such as ‘Vidalia'), diced into small pieces
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp mayonnaise (vegan mayo works just fine)
2 tbsp cilantro, coarsely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Spicy stuff, to taste (optional)
2 lime wedges

While your garlic is roasting, sauté the onion in oil over medium-high heat until well caramelized (brown, sticky and sweet), about 7 to 10 minutes. Mash the garlic cloves and onions into the mayonnaise with a fork. Then mash the mixture into the avocados.

Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in cilantro. If you want spicy guac, mix in your favorite spicy stuff (Tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper, red chile hot sauce, diced jalapenos, etc.), to taste.

Squeeze one lime wedge into the guacamole, and stir in the juice. Use the other one to squeeze a bit of lime juice over the top. (This will prevent the guacamole from browning.) Serve immediately.

Roasting garlic is incredibly easy. And you can use the soft, mild and nutty cloves in so many different ways. Stir it into soft cheeses and soups, or mash it into soft butter to up the garlic ante. Or simply spread a whole roasted clove over a piece of toasted bread. If you really love garlic, just pop a freshly roasted clove into your mouth all by itself — you won't be disappointed! Here's how to do it right:

1. Take an entire head of garlic and peel away the outer layers of paper. You don't need to remove the skin that clings to each clove; just peel off the paper that falls away easily.

2. Lay the head of garlic on its side, and chop off about a quarter inch from the top. You want to see at least a sliver of the naked skin of each clove.

3. Set the head of garlic on a piece of aluminum foil (about 4-by-4 inches); or place on the tray of your fancy-schmancy terra cotta garlic baker. Drizzle something yummy over the top. Yummy things might include olive oil, hazelnut oil, sesame oil, veggie stock or free-range chicken broth (2 tablespoons should be plenty).

4. Pinch the foil around the top to cinch the garlic-shaped package, or put the lid on your supersnazzy garlic baker.

5. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes, or until your garlic is sooooooooo delicious. You will know it is sooooooooo delicious when your home smells absolutely incredible and the cloves are soft, squishy and golden brown.

6. To release the cloves, simply squeeze each one and watch the perfectly roasted clove slip right out of its paper. Warning: Your hands will get a little greasy.

Making pickles can be time-consuming, but this method for easy garlic pickles couldn't possibly be any easier. Or tastier!

1. Slice peeled garlic cloves in half. Drop in a canning jar.
2. Pour your favorite kind of vinegar over the garlic cloves.
3. Add a tablespoon of coarse sea salt.
4. Screw lid on, shake jar, and store in the refrigerator for up to a couple months.

Feel free to add other veggies, such as hot and sweet peppers or cucumbers, to the mix. You can also add herbs, such as dill, thyme and rosemary. For sweeter pickles, add a tablespoon of sugar along with the salt.