Down on the Allotment

Matron grows vegetables and fruit in a Hampshire garden. I've been growing veggies since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Some traditional varieties and old favourites as well as new ideas. I share my garden with my allotment assistant Daisy the Labrador. On Twitter as @MatronsVeggies

Monday, July 16, 2012

Matron's Elephant

 This was a self seeded Elephant Garlic clove that I forgot to dig up last Summer. I let it grow in situ all Winter and Spring. At times I wondered if it was a leek but a sniff of the leaves told me otherwise. Now that the leaves are starting to die back I decided to dig it up and have a look to see what's underneath.
 So exciting, it's like digging for buried treasure.
 It just got bigger
 and bigger...
 Ta Daaah! what a whopper!
 Interesting little baby cloves growing on the roots. I think I will pot these up and try to grow them on.
I did get a few ideas on how to eat them when I visited the Garlic Farm stand at the Hampton Court festival recently. I think I will roast the whole bulb slowly in the oven. Sounds delicious!

posted by Matron @ 6:27 AM

9 Comments:

At 10:17 AM, Blogger Sue Garrett said...

I need to pull my elephants too - It's described as nearer to a leek than a garlic - what would you say it tastes like.

 
At 11:32 AM, Blogger Caro said...

Last year I grew 'scottish' garlic from a supermarket bulb with the logic that it would do well if the weather was cold and damp. What I got was lots of leeks smelling of garlic and couldn't figure out what had gone 'wrong'. Your post has made me think it may have been elephant garlic and I should have left it for a good while longer!

 
At 1:49 PM, Blogger Stacy said...

you have got to have baked camebert with warm bread and roasted Garlic there is nothing better!

 
At 7:54 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow, what a find. I here garlic roasted then spread on toast is very nice, haven't tried it myself though. Funny your word verification has got me typing beesting. lol

 
At 7:59 PM, Blogger Lee said...

What a beaut! Defo gonna get some of these elephant garlic to plant this autumn after the tiddler bulbs of regular stuff we managed this year. Where'd you get them from.

 
At 8:01 PM, Blogger Lee said...

Now I think, someone had mentioned that elephant garlic is actually more of a type of leek than a "proper" garlic, which might explain how leeky it looked in the ground.

 
At 8:38 PM, Blogger Matron said...

Stacy - that sounds like a heavenly way to eat it. Might just do that.
Lee - I buy my garlic sets from The Garlic Farm on the Isle of Wight. They do mail order.

 
At 2:34 AM, Blogger Petunia's Gardener said...

It's beautiful! DH & I always ordered oven roasted elephant garlic, cheese, chutney and rustic bread/crackers from a particular restaurant in Seattle. I don't see it on their online menu now. This link is similar to what it was:

http://bakedbree.com/brie-roasted-garlic-and-tomato-chutney

Enjoy!

 
At 8:50 PM, Blogger Martin and Amy said...

Fantastic! We are really intrigued by this variety and look forward to growing it next year!!

 

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