Cooking with Green Garlic

A seasonal delicacy loved by chefs that, unlike garlic scapes, is still relatively unknown. Green garlic is a luxury. Simply garlic plants harvested before the bulbs have formed while the whole plant is tender, this is the stage of growth that precedes garlic scapes. If you like ramps, garlic, onions, and alliums you're in for a treat. Today we'll go over what it is, and how you can use it in the kitchen.

Enjoyed in Asia for millennia, and more recently celebrated by seasonally-informed chefs like Alice Waters, green garlic was something I looked forward to in farm to table restaurants each spring, but it's harder to find now that I don't have food delivered from farmers to my kitchen.

Luckily last week I found some, and by that I mean I cajoled my grandparents friend into selling me some. Big thanks to Jerry's Garden near Stillwater-I'll be back for your scapes!

If you know someone that grows garlic, asking them to pull the plants early to sell may be tricky as they might assume the cured bulbs will fetch a higher price. Smooth things over by treating it like the luxury it is and offer to buy the young plants for the same price as the bulbs. I haggled a bit and brought home 50 plants for $100 this week. $10 / lb was still cheaper than the farmers market.

I got five different types of heirloom hardneck garlic from Jerry and they were all good, but the Armenian specifically had the largest shoots, some around 5-6 ounces each.

What is Green Garlic?

Essentially, it's whole, young garlic plants harvested for cooking before the bulb has developed. Early in the season it will resemble a leek or a scallion, eventually developing a bulb complete with tiny, immature garlic cloves. Green garlic is also the best substitute for wild ramps (Allium triccocum and others) I know of, although the green tops aren't as versatile.

Depending on the plant that's being harvested, green garlic can be the size of a scallion, ramp, or a medium-sized leek. Just as with foraging, Latin names are helpful here.

Wild garlic (Allium sativum) is found in North America, but grows smaller than commercial garlic. I also see green garlic confused with calcots (Allium cepa), which more resemble an onion.

Ideally you want the thickest fattest shoots possible. In my experience, those will come from hardneck garlic varieties (Allium sativum var. ophioscorodon) but softneck garlic (Allium sativum var. sativum) can be cooked green too.

Where I live Hmong farmers are most likely to sell it (bless them) but the ones I buy from sell plants that are the size of a scallion compared to hardneck garlic plants, as you can see below.

Confusingly, Allium canadense may also be called wild garlic and can also be harvested in the green stage. I grow this plant next to other alliums in my yard. It's much smaller than hardneck garlic.

Harvesting, Trimming and Cleaning

Cleaning green garlic is the same as cleaning leeks: simply remove the roots and tough green tops.

I remove every woody green leaf layer until I know the whole stalk is tender. With smaller green garlic, this will mean a lower yield than larger, thicker plants. Just like leeks, the sheath-like leaves will catch dirt, so make sure to peel and wash them.

Just like leeks, but even moreso, the whole plant is valuable. You can save the green tops to dehydrate. I use them whole or fresh in soups and stocks, and powdered for spice blends. They have a mild garlic taste that reminds me of ramp leaves.

Store cleaned plants in a zip loc with a dry paper towel, as in a paper bag they'll quickly turn limp. Once again, I love my commercial fish boxes for storing these, which are a standard in professional kitchens.

General Cooking & Tips

Green garlic has a garlic flavor, but it's softer and less aggressive, meaning you can eat more of it in a sitting. Green garlic also cooks relatively quick-much quicker leeks. Cooked for a few minutes the succulent shoots have a faintly sweet garlic taste and a soft nuttiness that will remind you of roasted garlic cloves.

It's extremely versatile, and depending on the size and age there's different things that can be done with it. Just like ramps, as the bulbs develop, the plants will intensify in size and flavor. Very small plants can simply be cooked whole or grilled.

More mature and larger plants can be thinly sliced, diced, julienned, or my favorite-cut into thick, bite-sized rounds.

Here's a few tips:

• Use it gently cooked in any recipe you'd use a scallion.
• Raw the taste is strong, but cut into too small of pieces you may not taste it in a dish.
• Green garlic also cooks faster than leeks, and overcooking will turn it to mush.
• It's tempting, but green garlic pesto tends to be stringy and the green parts become mucilaginous. It's also kind of a shame to puree it, in my opinion.
• Before you make a recipe, cut some into bite-sized pieces and brown them lightly in a little butter to get to know them.

A Few Green Garlic Recipes

There's so many ways to use green garlic. Here's a few things I made this week and a few favorites from over the years.

Green Garlic Risotto

The first dish I ever made for a restaurant. My chef had me remove every miniature clove first-the tedium was legendary.

To serve two as lunch, heat 4 oz ½ inch sliced green garlic with 1 tablespoon oil until translucent. Add ½ cup risotto rice, cook for a minute, deglaze with a splash of dry white wine, and slowly add 2 cups of homemade chicken stock. Finish with 2 tablespoons of butter, ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese a squeeze of fresh lemon and torn basil or tarragon leaves to taste.

Potato & Green Garlic Soup

An easy recipe anyone can make. Think potato leek soup with a soft garlic flavor.

Sweat 8 oz green garlic in 2 tablespoons butter until translucent, add 1 lb peeled starchy potatoes cut into small cubes and a few sprigs of thyme, tied. Add 3 cups chicken stock and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Puree the soup, add ½-1 cup heavy cream and a pinch of white pepper and kosher salt (½ tsp) to taste. Garnish with diced sauteed mushrooms, a spoonful of thinned sour cream, chopped dill or chives, etc.

Pickled Green Garlic

The Hmong farmers at the St. Paul Farmers market told me pickling it is their preferred way to enjoy it. It's good for adding to potato or chicken salad and makes an epic homemade tartar sauce.

Follow my recipe for pickled ramps, processing pint jars in a water bath for 10 minutes to tenderize them. You can also simmer the stalks in pickling liquid until tender. It also makes a fantastic variation on ramp jam.

It can also be fermented, vacuum sealed with 1-3% of its weight in salt as I describe for "dry fermentation" in my book Flora. This is the same recipe I use for fermented ramp leaves.

Green Garlic Pasta

One of the first things I'll make, this is basically green garlic aglio e olio. You can also make a wicked alfredo sauce with a splash of cream.

To serve 2 for lunch cook 4 oz pasta. Cook 4 oz sliced green garlic until tender in 2 tablespoons olive oil, adding 2 anchovy filets you break up with a spoon. Add a pinch of crushed red pepper and a splash of dry white wine. Add ½ cup chicken stock and simmer until reduced by half. Add the pasta, torn fresh basil or mint leaves, a tablespoon of butter and a handful of grated parmesan cheese off the heat.

Steaks with Green Garlic and Golden Oyster Mushrooms

Probably the best thing I ate this week. The tender chunks of garlic are a sublime-perfect with a steak and the deliciously invasive golden oyster mushrooms.

To serve 1 hungry forager, saute 4 oz mushrooms in oil until the water's evaporated and they've begun to brown. Season with salt and add 4 oz green garlic, sliced ½ inch. Cook until tender, finish with a pinch of thyme and parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.

Green Garlic Confit

A recipe we used to make at Lucia's restaurant to extend the harvest. The tender pieces are great gently warmed and spooned on just about anything.

Mix 16 oz sliced bite-sized pieces (½-1 inch) green garlic in a small pan with ½ teaspoon salt and rest for an hour. Add 8 oz butter, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, lard, or oil to cover 1 cup and a few sprigs of thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook or bake on low heat until just tender, but not mushy-about 20 minutes. It will last in the fridge for a few weeks in a mason jar under the fat. Use the fat to fry eggs or potatoes.

Green Garlic German Potato Salad

This lighter, vinegar and oil based version is my favorite. It's much less heavy than American potato salad.

As an example of a small batch to serve two, take 8 oz boiled golden potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces and mix with a dressing of 1 tablespoon flavorful oil, 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard, 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill, 2 teaspoons capers, and 2-4 oz gently cooked green garlic.

Do you cook with green garlic? If you have any suggestions of things you like to make with it please leave a comment.

Related Posts

• Foragers Guide to Ramps
• Field Garlic
• Golden Oyster Mushrooms