VERSATILE GARLIC

Garlic is an amazingly versatile and adds essential flavour to dishes from all over the world. Whole heads of garlic are delicious roasted and served as a vegetable. Used raw, the crushed cloves can be mashed with butter for garnishing grilled meat or added to mayonnaise to make aioli. Heads of garlic can be expensive from the supermarkets fresh fruit and vegetable section. I always have a jar of minced garlic on hand in my kitchen and it is very economical to purchase. A tea made of crushed garlic and boiling water (then cooled), is a good general insectide. Crushed garlic helps keep cats and snails out of the veggie patch. Garlic is reputed to have anti fungal properties and a garlic tea can be sprayed on roses and other plants that are prone to fungal attack. Try alternating with chamomile tea, another natural fungicide. Garlic grows easily in most gardens with a soil that drains well. Garlic can be grown as a companion plant to roses, to stop black spot infestation.