The Garlic and the Lamb

It’s my very first year of growing garlic and it couldn’t be more thrilling! I began this gardening adventure all the way back in October, so after such a long commitment I’ve been a bit nervous to harvest my first bulb. I mean, you can’t tell what’s going on under all the mulch and top soil. It could be tiny or deformed—or even worse—attacked by bugs or a disease or something. But this weekend, I took a deep breath and dug my garden fork in for some fresher than fresh garlic that would perfectly compliment some grilled lamb (more on that later). And … SUCCESS! A nice, big, plump bulb of garlic. It was pristine and perfect.

Garlic this fresh doesn’t have that papery skin we’re all used to—the outer layers have a more leathery texture and it’s super easy to peel. The flesh is so crisp and bursting with juiciness, it has the texture of a just-picked apple when you slice into it. SO. YUM.

GROWING GARLIC

Here are 6 simple steps to growing your own garlic. It’s SO easy. The most difficult part is waiting for that beautiful harvest.

1. GET THE GARLIC Garlic is available from most seed catalogs. I purchased some garlic cloves from Pinetree Garden Seeds (highly recommend!), and I also acquired some from our local farmers’ market. If you’re near Des Moines, Grade A Gardens garlic is AMAZING.
2. PLANT IT About 1 month before the winter freeze sets in (mid- to late-October here in Iowa), prep a garden bed with compost and some organic matter, such as straw or leaves. Separate the garlic into cloves and plant each one about 2 inches deep, about 6 inches apart.
3. LAYER ON MULCH Cover the bed with a thick layer of straw and/or dead leaves. Really pile it on because it will shrink as it self-composts. Under a neighbor’s advisement, I also covered the bed with some chicken wire to prevent the squirrels from digging in there. And I still had extra leaves, so I piled that over the chicken wire for some major insulation.
4. UNCOVER IT In the spring, when the daffodils and tulips begin to bust out of the soil, remove most of the mulch, leaving just an inch or two above the soil.
5. TRIM THE SCAPES Once the garlic plants are full-grown in the late spring or early summer, the flower heads, aka scapes, will pop out. Once they curl over, trim them off and cook with them as you would regular garlic, green onions, or asparagus. Get creative with these once-a-year treats. You can store the scapes in the fridge for weeks and use them as you need them.
6. HARVEST & CURE In the summer, when the bottom few leaves begin to turn yellow and brown, it’s ready to harvest. Loosen the soil with a garlic fork and carefully remove the bulbs. To “cure” the bulbs for long-term storage, spread them, untrimmed, on a screen or anything that will allow for maximum airflow underneath. Let dry a couple weeks outside until the skins and necks are dry (cover them if it rains). Then trim the leaves away and store the garlic bulbs in a cool, dry place.

Now on to the lamb. Jay wanted grilled lamb for his early Father’s Day dinner (he gets several!), so I decided to thaw out a little leg of lamb roast from our deep freeze. I cut out the bone for the dog, then rubbed it with the just-harvested garlic and a mixture of fresh herbs from the garden. And instead of rolling the boned leg back up (the usual way of cooking boneless leg of lamb), I opted to secure it with long bamboo skewers which resulted in more surface area for better browning and caramelization, plus more even (and faster!) cooking. And this also prevents overdone edges and a super-rare inside, which can easily happen with a rolled boneless leg. This method yields perfectly even medium/medium-rare doneness with a super-crisp, seared crust.

Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!

Garlic and Herb Skewer-Grilled Lamb

Annie

If you use bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 20 minutes to before skewering to prevent them from burning on the grill. Skip the boning step by purchasing a boneless leg of lamb. It will most likely come rolled and tied. Carefully untie it, unroll it, and flatten it before rubbing and skewering.

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Course Main Course

Ingredients

  

• 1 2½- to 3-lb. bone-in leg of lamb (this will be half or one-third of a whole leg)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup lightly packed chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary, mint, lavender, parsley, and/or thyme
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. freshly cracked pepper
• 2 to 3 Tbsp. olive oil

Instructions

 

• To remove the leg bone, slice into the meat along the length of the bone. Continue making shallow slices along the bone, removing the meat as you work your way around the bone. Don’t worry if any pieces of meat fall loose; you can reattach when you skewer it.
• Combine the garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper and rub evenly over meat, being sure to get into each crevice. Tuck any loose pieces of meat into the crevices. Using two or three 8- to 10-inch skewers, skewer the meat lengthwise horizontally through the center. Chill meat, uncovered, at least 2 or up to 8 hours.
• Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Grill lamb 25 to 30minutes or until desired doneness (it should register 130°F on a food thermometer for medium-rare). Transfer to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil about 15 minutes before slicing.

Keyword grilled food, grilled lamb, lamb, leg of lamb