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Until quite recently
scientists smiled at all the wonderful medicinal
powers claimed for garlic, but recent research
has shown that there is some truth in a few of
the old wives’ tales. Garlic, of course,
has an important role in Continental but not in
British cookery – it really isn’t
worth growing unless you are a fan.
Any well-drained spot will do. Buy a head of garlic
from the greengrocer or supermarket and split
it up into individual cloves. Plant them 2in (5cm)
deep and 6in (15cm) apart in March. Apart from
watering in dry weather there is nothing else
to do until the foliage turns yellow in July or
August. Lift the bulbs and allow to dry under
cover, then store in a cool, frost-free place.
If you are a beginner with garlic, you must use
it very sparingly or you will be put off forever.
Rub a wooden salad bowl with a clove before adding
the ingredients. Rub the skin of poultry before
roasting and then you can try dropping a whole
unskinned clove into a casserole or stew, removing
it before serving. If by then you have lost a
little of your garlic fear, you can try using
crushed (not chopped) garlic in meat etc. as the
Continentals do.
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