It is usually me who brings the random items. The weird cheese. The kumquats. The grapples… (Yes, grape flavored apples!) None of the original items from the grocery list, but items that could potentially provide an interesting flavor profile to accentuate a weekend dish.
Nabol is the meticulous list-follower. He gets what’s on the list. Very rarely, he dares to venture out and gets something outside of his usual items, just because he has absolutely no idea what to make of this intriguing, new thing.
He drops it in the basket and the challenge is on! “Let’s cook with this,” says Nabol like he’s Chris Santos or Geoffrey Zakarian.
Our most recent culinary quest? Wisconsin green garlic, found at the Madison Farmer’s Market. A mix between a green onion and a garlic. It looks like something you would dehydrate to decorate your kitchen, but this young garlic that grows between the beginning of spring and the middle of summer, actually has edible green stalks with an earthy, refreshing flavor that is perfect for lighter dishes.
The garlic flavor of the bulbs is mild, yet aromatic. Depending on the recipe, you can integrate several cooked bulbs in a single dish without overpowering it. The most important tip is to use only the soft white part of the bulb.
Green garlic is also good for you. It’s believed to be a great booster for the immune system and is recommended for its anti-inflammatory properties. It works as a natural antibiotic that can help block body infections, and can also help protect against heart disease, manage cholesterol and increase iron levels, among other benefits. Pretty good right?
To meet our culinary challenge, we decided to incorporate the green garlic in recipes where we usually incorporate garlic and scallions. We immediately thought of a Cuban mojo sauce to flavor our favorite roots and vegetables.
Cuban mojo is traditionally made with olive oil, garlic, orange juice, cumin and oregano or bay leaf. It is used as a marinade or condiment for yuca, tostones and grilled or roasted dishes. Those flavors became the inspiration for our green garlic sauce, which we used to make yuca al mojo. We invite you to try it at home and let us know what you think. Our recipes follow.
Green garlic mojo sauce
Nabol is the meticulous list-follower. He gets what’s on the list. Very rarely, he dares to venture out and gets something outside of his usual items, just because he has absolutely no idea what to make of this intriguing, new thing.
He drops it in the basket and the challenge is on! “Let’s cook with this,” says Nabol like he’s Chris Santos or Geoffrey Zakarian.
Our most recent culinary quest? Wisconsin green garlic, found at the Madison Farmer’s Market. A mix between a green onion and a garlic. It looks like something you would dehydrate to decorate your kitchen, but this young garlic that grows between the beginning of spring and the middle of summer, actually has edible green stalks with an earthy, refreshing flavor that is perfect for lighter dishes.
Green garlic is also good for you. It’s believed to be a great booster for the immune system and is recommended for its anti-inflammatory properties. It works as a natural antibiotic that can help block body infections, and can also help protect against heart disease, manage cholesterol and increase iron levels, among other benefits. Pretty good right?
To meet our culinary challenge, we decided to incorporate the green garlic in recipes where we usually incorporate garlic and scallions. We immediately thought of a Cuban mojo sauce to flavor our favorite roots and vegetables.
Cuban mojo is traditionally made with olive oil, garlic, orange juice, cumin and oregano or bay leaf. It is used as a marinade or condiment for yuca, tostones and grilled or roasted dishes. Those flavors became the inspiration for our green garlic sauce, which we used to make yuca al mojo. We invite you to try it at home and let us know what you think. Our recipes follow.
3 stalks of green garlic, chopped, just soft white part.
2 cloves of regular garlic chopped
1 shallot chopped
¼ cup olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon of butter (optional)
Salt to taste
A lick of white wine
Using all the olive oil and butter, sauté the shallots, the garlic and the green garlic for about 8 minutes on medium before adding the bay leaf. Season the mojo sauce with a sprinkle of salt and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add a lick of the wine and cook for another 5 minutes. Then, make sure to remove any fibery pieces you find in the sauce and let it cool for a few minutes. Blend the sauce until smooth and use it as a marinade or condiment.
Yuca with green garlic mojo
2 cloves of regular garlic chopped
1 shallot chopped
¼ cup olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon of butter (optional)
Salt to taste
A lick of white wine
Using all the olive oil and butter, sauté the shallots, the garlic and the green garlic for about 8 minutes on medium before adding the bay leaf. Season the mojo sauce with a sprinkle of salt and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add a lick of the wine and cook for another 5 minutes. Then, make sure to remove any fibery pieces you find in the sauce and let it cool for a few minutes. Blend the sauce until smooth and use it as a marinade or condiment.
Yuca with green garlic mojo
Peeling yuca can be a real pain in the butt, but if you are up for the challenge, by all means use it. You can find it at Meijer, Asian markets like HMart and Hispanic markets. You can also use frozen yuca like Goya’s. Just boil the yuca pieces with a sprinkle of salt, just like you would potatoes. Let them cool, and remove the middle stem. Then, sauté with ta few tablespoons of the green garlic mojo and add a sprinkle of salt. Voila.
Note: This English post was written to give our English-speaking social media followers a taste of what Verdelicias stories are all about. Hope you enjoy it! Thank you for following!
Other Posts in English
Other Posts in English
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- A taste of Venezuela in Memphis (Super old, but hey... It's in English!)
Putting Garlic Onions on my shopping list and hoping they have it. Gracias for the heads up y receta! BB2U
ReplyDeleteClaro que sí! Hope you find them! Using just regular garlic is also really good for you! :-) Saludos!
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