regrets over garlic

I am?áenrolled in?áa CSA programme. Like many people, I supplement?áthe bi-weekly?ágrab-bag of organic vegetable goodies?áthat are delivered from “my” farm with additional produce, ideally purchased at one of Montreal’s farmer’s markets.

This past fall I bought two different, and regrettable,?ábundles of garlic. The first was a big?ábag: “A Winter’s Worth of Garlic”. It came in a paper bag, and was about $15. The seller?ásaid to store it in the fridge to maintain freshness right through the winter. I’m pretty sure this garlic would last a lot longer than that and not require any refrigeration, because it was tasteless, pulpy and disgusting. Yes, no doubt that this was, indeed,?áirradiated garlic. A huge, useless sack of it.

My?ánext mistake was a rope of garlic. It was?á”Quebec” garlic, and silly me made the assumption that it was, therefore,?ágood garlic. Nope. It might well have been grown in Quebec, but it was still irradiated! I was terribly disappointed and disgusted. It seemed to be sold via a real farmer, it wasn’t hanging in amongst avocados, lemons and pineapples… it was?áright next to fresh lettuce and peppers and other local delights.

I have learned my lesson. From now on?áI am buying only organic garlic, as there is no point in eating irradiated garbage. I might as well chow down on a cardboard cutout image of garlic. One little clove of organic?áhas more goodness and flavour than a “Winter’s Worth” bag full.

This year I hope to have a real vegetable garden-plot, and if I do… I will grow my OWN garlic. I’ll be 100% guaranteed organic garlic, with no weirdo things done to it afterwards. I can hardly wait!!!

Natasha Henderson, Montreal