For Mark Sand of Ashley Creek Farm north of Littlerock, growing garlic has proven not only a great way of life and a tasty addition to cooking but also a fantastic money-making enterprise. And the upcoming 13th annual Chehalis Garlic Fest and Craft Show festival on August 28, 29 and 30 at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds will be a chance to showcase the many and varied delights of cooking with garlic.

“I’ve been raising garlic for 17 years,” Sand explained. “I had always raised corn and pumpkins and decorative commodities like gourds and squash, but it wasn’t anything to make the farm pay for itself.”

On just a little under 80 acres purchased by Sand’s father in 1962, Sand today raises his garlic and other organic vegetables.

“At the time I (learned) about garlic so I spent a few hundred dollars on seed. My mom said, ‘You can’t grow garlic in Washington,’ so I was going to make sure that garlic grew no matter what!” he said with a laugh.

Today, Sand said, he eats garlic six out of seven days a week and never tires of the fragrance or the taste.

The Birth of Garlic Fest

Sand and friend Shawn Hamilton were sitting around one day when they came up with an idea to showcase the garlic at Ashley Creek Farm.

“We both decided to have a garlic festival and thought it would be a good idea. We decided this in June and that following August we had the first festival and 4,000 to 5,000 people showed up to it,” Sand said.

The garlic festival that many people told Sand and Hamiliton they were “crazy” to start has since become a community-wide event held each year at this time in August.

After years of holding the festival at Hamilton’s farm, the event moved last year to the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds.

The fest will also play host to a large number of local craft items for sale, including crystal jewelry, goat milk soap, hand-painted clothing and ceramic tiles, honey, Indian cooking items, garden mosaics, natural products for the home and personal care, and much more.

From Garlic Donuts to Garlic Ice Cream

Foods featuring garlic reign supreme at the fest. To whet your appetite during the fest, try a variety of garlic appetizers such as roasted elephant garlic with butter and a baguette, garlic cashews, garlic nachos and fried rings, and fresh fruit skewers also featuring — what else — garlic.

Garlic barbecue ribs, garlic chicken crepes, garlic flank steak sandwiches, garlic hamburgers and garlic Indian tacos are among the many main dishes served. Or how about garlic marinated tofu? And of course, no meal would ever be complete without the quintessential freshly fragrant loaf of garlic bread.

Finish off your delicious garlic repast with a variety of delicious garlic flavored desserts including garlic cheesecake and garlic ice cream, or snack on garlic mini donuts or crepes.

“We’ll have 65 strains of various garlic at the fest,” Sand said. “Some strains are more productive than others. We’ll have just a little under 5,000 pounds of garlic for the festival, and that’s just the raw garlic. We’ll also have a ton of garlic products available.

We’ve developed products over the years from salsa to dipping sauces and a whole array of garlic-based products for any type of culinary appetite. We’ll even have herbs and our garlic salt blend and garlic pepper blend. There will be taste testing available.”

To taste test garlic does not involve chomping on an entire clove, and Sand was ready with information on the proper procedure (see sidebar).

Combat Garlic Breath

“My best secret is to have whomever you’re around, get them to have garlic too and then everybody smells the same,” suggested Mark Sand of Ashley Creek Farm.

“During harvest time, some of the garlic really has a unique smell,” Sand explained. “Some garlics have a sweet smell, others have a peppery scent, it is not always consistent smell. It is very neat right after you harvest, the fresh bouquet that comes around.”

“It’s going to be a hopping time,” Sand said of this weekend’s festival. “It will just be a lot of fun for anybody to come and get educated about garlic and to try garlic.”

How to Taste Test Garlic

1 — Bite the clove in half.

2 — Break it open and really look for how oily the garlic is.

3 — Rub it on the tip of the your tongue so you don’t overwhelm yourself with eating it, to get the full bouquet.

• Information on how to grow and how to properly store dried garlic will be available for free in a booklet during Garlic Fest.

• Some strains of garlic can last from four to nine months if properly stored in a dry cool area.

• Never store fresh garlic cloves in the refrigerator or where there is moisture.

• Garlic cookbooks are also available at the festival.

Check it out online:

For more information visit the Chehalis Garlic Fest on line at:

www.chehalisgarlicfest.com

Entertainment at Chehalis Garlic Fest 2009

A new addition this year to the entertainment, crafts and eating excitement at the fest will be the Saturday-only Centralia College Foundation Cloves and Vines Wine Tasting, according to organizer Judy DeVaul in a press release.

The event features six local Chehalis Valley wineries. Each winery will be bringing a selection of wines that will be offered as “tastes” as well as wine by the glass or by the bottle for guests to take home.

The wine tasting is Saturday from 1 to 8 p.m., and proceeds will benefit the foundation.

New also this year will be a Bulbs n’ Brews Beer Garden that will take place Friday and Saturday as well.

Enjoy musical entertainment on the Garlic Fest Stage from opening to closing all three days of the festival.

Throughout the festival grounds, kids can enjoy pony rides, and “make and take” crafts, face painting and caricatures.

Friday

noon–2 p.m. Locust Street Dixieland Band (Dixieland jazz)

1-8 p.m Beer garden

2 – 4 p.m. The Paul Keller Band (classic rock)

4 – 6 p.m. Locust Street Taxi (horn-driven eclectic rock)

6 – 8 p.m. Backfire Band (high energy, classic & southern country)

Saturday

10 a.m. – noon Chris Guenther and the Honky-Tonk Drifters (classic country)

1 to 8 p.m. Centralia College Foundation wine tasting with six local wineries

1 to 8 p.m. Beer garden

2 – 3 p.m. The Prairie Steppers (square dancers)

3 – 6 p.m. Renegade Train (traditional country/swing)

6 - 9 p.m. Oncore (ultimate high-energy dance hits, ‘70s to now)

Sunday

10:15 – 11:45 a.m. Boys of Greenwood Glen (rugged acoustic bluegrass, Irish)

12 - 2 p.m. The Sundowners (traditional country)

2 – 3 p.m. The Honky-Tonk Angels (line dancers)

3 – 5 p.m. Locust Street Taxi (horn-driven eclectic rock)

Garlic Recipes provided by Mark Sand of Ashley Creek Farm

Garlic Vinaigrette

Here is a classic recipe for a garlic salad dressing that goes well with a wide variety of salads.

¼ cup pure apple cider vinegar

½ cup olive oil or sunflower seed oil

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

one or more cloves of garlic, crushed, chopped or sliced

Shake the first four ingredients together and taste. There should be a nice balance with no one ingredient dominating. Adjust if necessary, and then add the garlic.

Choose a garlic that you like the taste of raw. Spanish Roja is one of my favorites; it is milder and more subtle than many of the others. For some people the hotter the better. For them I might choose Leningrad, which is very pungent. When I have time to let the dressing sit for an hour or so I slice the garlic thinly and let it marinate. The flavor of this dressing changes over time and so I prefer to make it up fresh every day.

Roasted Garlic Soup4 bulbs garlic

¼ cup olive oil

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 leeks, chopped

1 onion, chopped

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken broth

2153> cup dry sherry

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste

salt to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1. Cut off top ¼ inch of each garlic head. Place in a small, shallow baking dish. Drizzle olive oil over. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until golden, about 1 hour. Cool slightly. Press individual garlic cloves between thumb and finger to release. Chop garlic.

2. Melt butter or margarine in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, leeks, and onion; saute until onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add flour and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in hot broth and sherry. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.

3. Puree soup in batches in a blender or food processor.

4. Return soup to saucepan, and add cream. Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and white pepper. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with chives.

Bow Tie Pasta With Broccoli, Garlic, and Lemon

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

215B> teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (8 ounce) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta

1 head broccoli, cut into florets

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Warm olive oil in a small frying pan over low heat. Slowly cook garlic in oil until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Be very careful not to burn garlic. Stir in lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.

2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. About 5 minutes before pasta is done, drop broccoli into the pasta water. Continue to cook until pasta is cooked and broccoli is crisp-tender. Drain.

3. Toss pasta, broccoli, and lemon sauce in a large bowl. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

Garlic Bruschetta

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 cloves garlic, minced

7 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped

salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 sourdough baguette, cut into ½ inch thick slices

1 (4 ounce) package semi-soft cheese with garlic and herbs (such as Alouette)

1. Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, and garlic in a bowl. Stir in the chopped tomatoes; season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover; place in the refrigerator to marinate for 20 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread the bread slices in a single layer on a large baking pan.

3. Bake in the oven until golden, about 10 minutes. Remove to cool on a wire rack.

4. When the bread is cool, spread the semi-soft cheese evenly over each slice. Using a slotted spoon, spoon some of the tomato mixture over each slice.

Clams and Garlic

50 small clams in shell, scrubbed

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup white wine

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Wash clams to remove any dirt or sand.

2. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic; saute for 1 minute, or until tender. Pour in the white wine. Boil until wine has reduced to half its original volume.

3. Add clams, cover, and steam till clams start to open. Add butter, cover, and cook till most or all of the clams open. Discard any that do not open. Transfer clams and juice to 2 large bowls. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve.

Roasted Garlic Recipe

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Using a knife, cut off 1/4 to a ½ inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic.

Place the garlic heads in a baking pan; muffin pans work well for this purpose. Drizzle a couple teaspoons of olive oil over each head, using your fingers to make sure the garlic head is well coated. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed.

Allow the garlic to cool enough so you can touch it without burning yourself. Use a small knife cut the skin slightly around each clove. Use a cocktail fork or your fingers to pull or squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins.

Eat as is (I love straight roasted garlic) or mash with a fork and use for cooking. Can be spread over warm French bread, mixed with sour cream for a topping for baked potatoes, or mixed in with Parmesan and pasta.

Garlic Fries

Oil for frying (peanut or canola or lard if you have the guts)

4 Russet potatoes or 12 oz bag of frozen pre-cut fries

½ cup fresh minced garlic

¼ cup kosher salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon dried thyme

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Cut the washed potatoes into ½ inch to 215C> inch thick strips (if using a French mandolin set it to its thickest setting). Heat the oil in a cast iron pot or any heavy duty pot to 360 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan then add the minced garlic for 30 seconds. Remove from pan and add to a mixing bowl with the salt, pepper, and thyme. Mix well.

The potatoes must be fried three times for best results. In batches, if necessary, place the raw fries into the oil for 90 seconds. Remove and let drain. Drop fries again for another 90 seconds. Remove and let drain. Drop fries in again this time for 60 seconds or until crisp and golden brown.

While the fries are still warm toss them with the garlic seasoning.

Grilled Chicken & Roasted Garlic Sandwich

Marinade

¼ cup lime or lemon juice

¼ cup olive oil

4-12 minced garlic cloves

1 tablespoon Ashley Creek Farm smokey garlic and onion mustard.

salt and pepper to taste

Sandwich

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 heads of garlic

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 Hass avocado

1 tomato sliced thin

4 romaine lettuce leaves, cleaned

Mayonnaise (no nonfat or light allowed)

4 French rolls

Combine the marinade ingredients and mix well. Place the chicken in a large zip lock bag and pour in the marinade. Place the chicken in the refrigerator and let marinate for 30 minutes.

Next roast the garlic. Peel the garlic leaving the cloves whole. Place them in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle with oil making sure to coat all the garlic. Sprinkle with the dried thyme. Bake at 350 degrees covered for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Drain and save oil (great for sautéed vegetables).

Grill the chicken until fully cooked about 4 minutes per side depending on thickness and the temperature of the grill.

Split the rolls in half and spread the roasted garlic on both sides with a little of the mayonnaise. Put a chicken breast on one half and top with tomato, avocado and the lettuce.

Auntie Paco’s Garlic Ice Cream

After a spicy, rich dinner, this dessert is a refreshing climax. It should not be served after a bland, garlic-free meal as the slight hint of garlic will be extremely offensive to some. The strawberry or other fruit topping can be eliminated, along with the sugar, and the resulting mixture can be served with roast beef in lieu of horseradish sauce.

1½ teaspoon gelatin

¼ cup cold water

2 cups milk

¾-1 cup sugar

2 tablespoon lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups whipping cream

Strawberry topping (or other fruit)

Soak the gelatin in cold water while you heat to a boil the milk, sugar and salt. Dissolve the gelatin in the hot milk. Cool, then add the lemon juice and garlic. Chill the mixture until slushy. Whip the cream until thick but not stiff and stir into the mixture. Freeze in a mold, or in a foil-covered tray.

Garnish servings with the fresh fruit topping it makes it taste better. Serves 6-8. More like 12 to 13 if you considered the taste.

Garlicky Steak and Veggie Kabobs

1 lemon, zested and juiced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

16 cherry tomatoes

10 ounces white mushrooms, stemmed

1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1-inch pieces

1 small red onion, cut into wedges

1 pound fillet mignon steak, 1½ to 2 inches thick, cut into 4 pieces

1. Preheat grill to high.

2. Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, oregano, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade in a small bowl. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini and onion to the remaining marinade; toss well to coat. Thread the vegetables onto eight 10-inch skewers. Drizzle the vegetables and steak with the reserved marinade.

3. Grill the steak 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium. Grill the vegetable kebabs, turning frequently, until tender and lightly charred, 8 to 12 minutes total. Remove the vegetables from the skewers and serve with the steak.

Tip: When using wooden skewers, wrap the exposed parts with foil to keep them from burning. (Contrary to conventional wisdom, soaking skewers in water doesn’t protect them.)

Grilled Steak With Fresh Corn Salad

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

½ teaspoon salt, divided

2 boneless strip (top loin) steaks, trimmed (about 1¼ pounds)

5 large ears corn, husked

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 small orange or red bell pepper, diced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1. Preheat grill to high.

2. Combine garlic, 1 teaspoon oil and ¼ teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Rub the mixture on both sides of steaks. Place the steaks and corn on the grill. Grill the steaks 2 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let them rest while the corn finishes cooking. (The steaks will continue to cook while resting.) Grill the corn, turning to cook all sides, until some of the kernels are slightly charred, 8 minutes total. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes.

3. Remove the kernels from the cobs using a sharp knife. Combine the corn, tomatoes and bell pepper in a medium bowl; stir in basil, vinegar, the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Slice the steaks and serve with the corn salad.