Garlic, 2012

Less than a month to harvest on the 4th of July and we're counting the days. The garlic crop is the best we've ever raised: organic seed planted in virgin soil that had only grown pasture grasses grazed by sheep, then bedded with a clean straw that was hand weeded.

Our garlic was blessed with light from the flaming star overhead and rain water from the gray clouds that modestly cover it from time to time.

There were no sprays used in the production of this garlic: no chemical fertilizers, and no petro chemical herbicides or pesticides used in less expensive conventional garlic sold in farmers' markets or  sold in supermarkets whose source might be mainland China—who knows—labels of origin are not required on produce.

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PECORINO GARLIC-SCAPE PESTO

Makes about 1 cup

A handful of garlic scapes (about 10), finely chopped

1/3 to 1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese (from sheep)

About 1/2 cup virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Put the scapes, the Pecorino and half the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor (or a blender or a mortar and pestle). Chop and blend all the ingredients and then add the remainder of the oil. If you want it thinner add more oil. Season with salt.