Garlic harvest

Today was the day to harvest the garlic. The friend who encouraged me to plant it came over this morning to help with the harvest, since I wasn't even sure it was harvest time (the first thing you have to know!). It was for 99% of the garlic, and she patiently guided me through the steps....Her verdict was that I have a very green thumb, because most of the garlic was huge, and it was all healthy. Once we yanked and dug it out, we peeled away the grubby outside layer so that it could be "cured" in the garage until it dries. It was such fun to chat about our lives as we dug and yanked and peeled on a glorious summer morning. FYI, the garage already has a fragrant aroma of garlic, and it's only been a few hours! It smells a bit like an Italian restaurant, which isn't the typical scent of a garage.

I'm going to try making a garlic braid (Internet here I come!), and I already cooked up some fresh garlic for eggs today.

We are going to have a friendly garlic growing competition this coming season. The plan is to buy garlic together (same varieties from the same source) and plant them the same week. The goal is to see who can grow the largest head of garlic. The winner gets a meal. I will take her to Autentica if she wins, and if I win she makes me a home-cooked Vietnamese meal. I say that we are both winners already!