A clove by any other name

Enthusiasm about black garlic made me a garlic nerd. This wonderful and versatile condiment is made by fermenting whole-bulb garlic at 180 degrees Fahrenheit for two weeks, during which time it becomes something like a sweet balsamic vinegar taffy. It goes great with cheese and makes fine sauces and spreads.

I wanted to experiment with garlic of all types from all over the world. This desire led me to Garlicana, a boutique garlic farm in southwest Oregon that practices soil conservation and watershed restoration. Their incredible selection of rare and esoteric garlics (70 at present!) and shal...