I wrote this haiku a couple of years ago in the last week of June:
Garlic gath’rers pass,
Leaving the scent in the air;
It’s that time again.
It’s that time–again; but three weeks later than normal (due aux mauvais temps [bad weather] in May and June).
The question now hanging in the air (with the whiff of garlic!): will there be enough of the lovely stuff ready for the Garlic Festival–always held in our village on the first Friday of August?
Alice Frezouls, our neighbour, called in at noon yesterday with bunch just lifted–a gift! She was hot from the field and called the work travail bagnard, which translates as hard labour–in the sense of a prison sentence. (What must it have been like before the machine above took over the lifting?!)
She was making light of it though.
The fields are still unseasonably sodden and the clumps of garlic are coated with earth–adding irksomeness to the lifting and cleaning process.
The garlic must spend weeks drying out before being hand cleaned, plaited and sold.
This was done in barns open to the heat of summer air passing naturally through them.
Now with garlic production increased, noisy drying machines–great ventilator fans–are used more and more.
The first year this happened we complained to Pierre-Louis–our young farming neighbor. He came over and agreed that we were in a noise corridor where the sound of his industrial dryer was penible–difficult. He improvised with stacks of hay bales to blanket the racket and we lived with it.
He has refined the process and for the next month we are resigned to eating dinner on the terrace to the accompaniment of a low, single-noted wind machine–not a woodwind quartet–that drifts in and out of our consciousness.
The reports that the Garlic Festival risks being like Hamlet–but without the Prince–are exaggerated, or so we have been reassured.
If they’re desperate I’ll offer mine!
On verra!
Hi Robin I lifted mine from the allotment this week end and due to the wet weather I lost lots rotting in the ground so sad . Oh well I’ll try again next year always another season
Voila!–sorry to hear that though.A farmer’s/gardener’s life.
…nice story, great pictures, Robin! I planted my “special” garlic only last month — in pots, so they can finish in the house. Have fun on the first Friday of August!
Yummy! One can never have enough garlic! Do you remember I mentioned a favourite last year Robin – ail fume? Did you ever try any? The smell that wafts around the kitchen when a rope of that is hanging is immense 🙂 Bon chance avec your garlic harvest 🙂
That was neat, Robin, seeing how they harvest the garlic–thanks for the interesting video. When I saw the barn with four layers drying so close together, I wondered how they kept the air flowing. Then I read on & saw how you pay for it with all the noise!! Makes me think of the new air conditioner we just bought. It’s reminiscent of a plane gathering its willpower right before takeoff….Lovely! 😦 Hope you share pics of the festival–positive thinking!
Cheers & hugs!
Here in the Bay Area/California, we have a garlic fest in Gilroy, a bit south of San Jose. From our garlic to yours, “bon appetit!” Hope all is well there, give my best to Meredith.
Thanks Steven.
Someone once brought us a kilo of garlic from Gilroy. We didn’t say anything about “coals to Newcastle”! Meredith sends love.
do you eat garlic scapes? Seems to be the latest thing now. I live in Canada. If you do, what do I do with them? Got a bunch from a farm and am at a loss, except made lots of pesto.
Never used them. Like asparagus?
More sweet Robin!
Steven Hill’s comment reminded me, on a road trip In CA many years ago found myself in Gilroy eating garlic flavored ice cream…..something never to be forgotten.
looking good as ever Robin! Kind regards from Nuneaton.
I’m new to the garlic scape thing. I made pesto with half garlic scapes and half basil leaves, olive oil, bit of lemon juice and zest, toasted pine nuts, parmesan and bit of salt. It is quite good. Tried grilling on the bbq a couple of times and they were hit and miss, but yes, grill them like asparagus. The thinner part of the stem and little bulb at the top are best. I also used them like green onion but they take a little longer to soften up. Froze some in small bits like green onion to pull out when needed and froze more in large pieces for making into pesto later. (I had an over-abundance of them from a harvest box purchased at a local farm).
I hope you and Meredith had a good 14 Juillet yesterday in Lautrec, here in Antwerp the weather is good for the moment.
Looks wonderful I love garlic I use it in most everything it must be my Italian roots lol
Unfortunately my dear husband cannot eat real garlic (or raw onions); the price he would pay afterwards is horrific, so I must enjoy your garlic festival vicariously. I can use a little garlic powder in our food if I am careful, so I must be content with that.