Soul of Garlic

At first glance, garlic is as lovely as Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World," and with prolonged consumption, it turns into Elvis's "I'm Nothing but a Hound dog!" Roasted, it's sweet; raw, it's spicy; and in cooking, it's all things nice. It fills your cellular light body with vitality and fortitude for when the winds are cold and the sun does not shine through the clouds. This is energetically wonderful for the body, but not so much for the noses around you!

This was my first year growing it, and with a healthy dose of beginner's luck, happy soil, and the right season, it turned out to be quite stunning. I have never seen such large cloves! Last autumn, I purchased a handful of bulbs from a produce stand. In October, they went into the soil, and harvested them early in July. I did make the happy mistake of not letting them air dry for 10-14 days. But, no fear, I turned to the ancient oil-packing technique and made a lovely jar of goodness that takes center stage in the refrigerator!

• Oil Packing Garlic, how too:

  A simple preserving technique!
  
  Peel garlic cloves.
  Gently pack into a pretty jar (or any jar.)
  Cover with oil & refrigerate.
  
  **must be refrigerated