My favorite crop of all time is garlic.
That lowly thought of item for your garden, purchased in bulk at the local Von's as a California Early or Late is the easiest thing to grow in your garden and is by far the most rewarding. Growing it opens up a world far beyond the supermarket isles with varied flavors, heat and nuance.
We've found that red hard neck garlics seemingly grow best in Southern California and are the most powerful in flavor and heat. Heat like chili peppers when you try them raw, powerful in your Caesar salad and your breath afterwards. Oh so good.
We are fortunate enough to have a community garden plot across town that used to be our primary source of produce for the year. Sadly, a professional farmer from South Africa moved into the plot next to us and decided that weeds are a cash crop and grows them by the bushel, which blows seed onto our plot. This has changed our strategy of water thirsty crops to berries, grapes and garlic. We are heading there today to pull up the last of the tomatoes, till the soil, kill the water timer and prep for garlic. In the ground in October and out by July, we had great luck with sexy types like Red Janice, Amore and Early Red; each with their own bouquet. Sexy.
It is as easy as take a good sized head, break off a clove and into the ground butt side down (pointy end up). Cover with an inch of soil and let it go for the season. We didn't have to purchase a single head and were into the conversation each night before dinner of, "What type do you think would go well in....?"
Plant garlic, you won't be disappointed. Filagree Garlic Farm linked at the right. ;)
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