Just a couple of weeks ago I was whining about how cold it was. Well, it’s been in the 90’s for a few days and, already, I’ve had enough. I feel for the parts of the U.S. that are undergoing non-stop sweat. The heat is not my friend (I melt…), but in our neck of the woods right now, it does bring some good things…
•After harvest, our fresh California garlic bulbs love to hang out in their sunny wind-rows (see photo) for about 12 days to get nice and dry and ready for market
•Our sweet corn is getting sweeter by the minute and the ears I had yesterday were crunchy wonderful.
•Our beautiful bell peppers are in the process of being picked and packed (the pickling up to you!)
So, I’m inclined to welcome the sunshine and the heat because it brings us all good things to eat! Ooof, I did just say that, ya’ll, but it’s so true and tasty.
One more thing the heat brings… The Gilroy Garlic Festival. But GGF weather is capricious… misty cool in the mornings and blazing hot in the afternoon – all the better to eat, drink, dance and revel in garlicville! So I’ll enjoy the cool time and drink plenty of water when the sun starts to melt my garlic ice cream.
I’ve been to every Gilroy Garlic Festival, all 32 of them (soon to be 33), and I’ve worked in the Christopher Ranch booth every year. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be absent at this time of year, leaving Gilroy and garlic and 100,000 “visitors” behind to go sit up to my neck in a cool body of water somewhere. But the lure of garlic is like the lure of chocolate. I just can’t get enough, have to have it, and the minute I step onto the festival grounds, no matter how tired or cranky or over it I am, the sight, the smell, and the excitement of it all just grabs me and propels me into the heart of garlitopia. I can’t deny that it’s also the scampi, the calamari and the garlic bread, but the beauty of 100,000 people all on the same page, thinking about garlic, eating garlic, looking at garlic and enjoying the heck out of garlic just makes me feel connected to a very robust and delicious world – if only for that fleeting last weekend in July.
Hope to see you there, July 29-31. GO GARLIC!
Christopher Ranch is the largest grower of fresh California garlic in the world. A family farm focused on garlic cultivation and land preservation, we strive to sustainably produce California heirloom garlic that is flavorful, fresh, healthy and safe.
Hmmm…sounds great, but what does it mean?
Well, it all began in 1956 when Don Christopher selected an Italian heirloom seed to test in California’s rich soils. The tests were a success, and today, we exclusively grow 60 million pounds of fresh California heirloom garlic.
California heirloom garlic is characterized by its smooth, bold, nutty flavor, which food laboratory tests have confirmed boasts higher levels of valuable nutrients and oils than imported garlic, such as Chinese, Mexican and Argentine. Numerous chefs also have verified that California heirloom garlic consistently maintains its flavor throughout the life of a dish – a feat not claimed by all varieties.
Finally, we want to ensure our garlic is safe, which is why we follow strict food safety procedures in our garlic production. Enough about us, though. It’s your turn – we want to hear your thoughts.
