What Garlic is to Salad, Insanity is to Art

I had a choice: tomato or garlic. Garlic it is. I've been doing a lot of preserving for the winter lately, getting fresh tomatoes, garlic, potatoes, parsley, basil, and other veggies to preserve. Since I am stuck in the kitchen most of the time, why not take some pictures of the fruits and vegetables, my baking goods, and my cooking dishes too? I don't do any fancy photo shoots for my cooking and baking. I just need some photos for my cookbook. Yes, I have a cooking and baking journal. No, I am not going to publish anything; it is all for me. I do so much, change things around a lot, and am always perfecting my recipes, so I have to write them down because my memory isn't that sharp anymore.

Going back to my photo choices for this post I do have nice texture photos of the tomato, but garlic happened to have more character, with more different things happening, including a bit of dirt. This garlic is a winter garlic, which is planted in the late fall and harvested in the next spring. It is amazing to know that it survives the winter. I got this one from my mother. Speaking aside, this fall, I don't have a need to visit our local farmer's market yet because most of the vegetables I've been getting are from my parents and my mother-in-law. Not to mention how nice it is to see my Matthew eating tomatoes, raspberries, and blackberries right from the plant. Unfortunately, I have to walk with him and watch him closely, so the only picture I will have will be in my mind. He loves anything from plants to trees, but I have to be careful because when it comes to food, he is very adventurous. I still cannot believe that summer is gone, and this is my second summer with Matthew.

"What garlic is to salad, insanity is to art." ~ quote by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Reminiscences



~ Anna

Comments

Will said…
Hi Anna - That is nice looking garlic. Did your Mother grow it? I also cook a lot and never make something the same way twice. But, I never write anything down. Makes for some interesting results, but usually it is all very good.

And yes a second summer gone. Soon you will be teaching him how to drive so he can get his license. I am going through the empty nest syndrome a bit with my two oldest. They are still in college, so are home a bit. But I know soon they will have their own lives. Just not too far away, I hope. My youngest is just starting high school, so she is stuck with me for a few more years at least. LOL!
S-V-H said…
Hi Anna,

very nice post and great photo of the garlic. I love garlic in my kitchen too, almost in every dish there will be some garlic - it's healthy for your heart and it keeps off also the vampires....LOL...

Big hug for Matthew :)
Susanne
Marvin said…
I loooove garlic.
Garlic is good, but I could never have imagined it could be so beautiful to look at. Thanks for pointing out the magnificence I missed!
Ilan said…
I can almost feel the smell :D
Nicely done!
Is there anything better and healthier than being able to pick these fruit and vegetables off the bush and eat it? I miss having a garden.
Unknown said…
Beautiful setup and well photographed Anna...Thomas
Dick said…
It's great to have a garden and grow your own food. Yes summer has gone time goes really fast, a long fall and winter ahead of us now.
I like the picture, byeee
John Maslowski said…
You are definitely a multi-talented young woman Anna. Now I find out you are an amazing cook as well. Love visiting your site, always something interesting to see or read about. I think you should consider publishing a cook book, between your recipes and photos, I'm sure it would be a big hit. Let me know when you publish it, my wife has a thing about cook books.
holdingmoments said…
Garlic isn't something I enjoy, but I enjoy a good picture; and that is superb. The texture is captured perfectly.
Max Coutinho said…
Hi Anna,

Today I am going to be very quick here (I just came back from my week off), but next week I will explore the post I missed in more depth :)!

So, you have a cooking/baking journal...one day we must talk about that! Girl, business opportunities are always lurking (mind my advice) ;)!

I hope all is well with you! Send my love to Matthew, please :D!

Have a great week and cheers
Cheffie-Mom said…
What a great title!! And I love Farmer's Markets -- yummy!!
That is a nice photo. It sounds like you cook a lot. Mom used to cook more but works so much now she has little time.
Matthew has the right idea with the tomatoes, blackberries and raspberries....those are 3 of mom's favorites!
--JB
MedaM said…
Hi Anna! Time passes by quickly, indeed! Every season is beautiful and charming in its own way, but I am already sorry that summer is gone. Our autumn started with cool mornings and nights but it is quite warm and sunny during the day.
Good idea and choice your garlic photo! Many of dishes I cannot imagine without it. But also, I cannot imagine many of dishes with garlic in it. There are people who like to eat garlic fresh and I am not happy at all if I find myself in the same bus or tram with such person. That isn’t pleasant at all.:-)
George said…
This is a wonderful picture of garlic. I have to admit that I really like cooking with garlic.
Bee said…
You are right: this garlic has so much earthy texture to it. But I say, why not tomato and garlic both? I made a delicious tomato soup tonight . . . and it had both of these ingredients, plus the basil, onions and some carrots.
Oswegan said…
This one is a keeper. Nice work, looking forward to reading more about the book.
Philip said…
That is something I have missed since I move dinto my new house ( picking tree ) I should plant new yep I like the pic as well :)
spookydragonfly said…
Hello Anna....I'm happy that you stopped by my Odonata blog, I in turn, am able to view your exceptional photography. Your Cedar Waxwing capture is wonderful...I saw them for the first time in my woods this year. My captures aren't nearly as good!
Peter said…
Ah! Garlic! Love the stuff but we don't see much of it at home anymore. Goes back to the day when I took my wife out just before she was released from hospital after having our first child.

You see, I took her to a French Restaurant, and we had escargots cooked in garlic butter. We all loved it of course but what we didn't know was that the garlic had tainted the breast milk and our poor baby, Robert stunk of garlic for weeks.

Even to this day, by better half refuses to have anything to do, with GARLIC! Sad, but true!

Take Care,
Peter
Zbyszek said…
Najprawdziwszy czosnek! Ja już zaczynam się takim leczyć, niestety jakieś paskudztwo mnie dopadło:(
Pozdrawiam:)
Ruth said…
The garlic is GOR GEOUS. So vivid and textured.

Yes, your second summer with Matthew, how amazing. Thank you for interacting too with my poem about such things.
angryparsnip said…
Great picture of the garlic.

In my home the first three ingredients to almost any dish is garlic, olive oil and lemon.

cheers, parsnip
Swubird said…
Anna:

You sound like a great mom. Mathew is a lucky boy. When I was young I didn't have a liking for a wide variety of foods. I was a meat and potatoes kind of guy. My uncle Bob would eat anything. My aunt Mary was more picky. After I had my own children I found that they were carbon copies of my family. My son would eat anything, but my daughter was more picky. Human beings are a funny species when it comes to food.

I love the garlic picture. Great texture.

Happy trails.
Wild wave, dear Anna!!! How are you this morn?

Am enjoying the garlic photo and post. :D

Here it is October already. This year has run right past us. Snow is in the forecast but I am getting new snowshoes this year so the long season should be more enjoyable.

I know you and Matthew will have great sled times. I used to loooove to pull my kids on a sled.

Have a super week.

Hugs, JJ
Lynda Lehmann said…
Anna, your garlic photo DOES have so much character! It's probably one of the best photos I've seen of garlic.

How wonderful to get fresh-grown food and to have it from relatives and your own garden.

I know what you mean about watching Matthew. Especially as there are so many mushrooms and other plants that are poisonous.

I can't believe this was his second summer, either! Time is flying but we're not getting any older, are we.... ?
Max-e said…
Give me garlic any day. They say it keeps the fleas and vampires away. Must work, because I have neither. Nice post Anna and thanks for the visit.
Chris said…
Hi Anna,
I found your thought very interesting and sometime I've to admit funny :-) Thanks to share that with us!
Bram Antareja said…
Garlic in the Indonesian language is BAWANG. Garlic are always used in the original Indonesian food processing, because its function as a food flavoring. Garlic are also useful for healthy body. Garlic have a Latin name "Allium sativum" These include herbs that are popular in Asia. It gives a unique taste of fragrant cuisine, as well as lower cholesterol contained in foods that contain fat. So do not be surprised if the Chinese, Korean and Japanese use the onions as many main ingredient.

Garlic has been used as medicine for thousands of years. Even 3000 years BC, Chinese poets have been testing and writing the benefits of garlic! Ancient Greek scholar Aristotle also tested garlic in 335 BC for use as an ancient Egyptian pengobatan.Tulisan noted that garlic was given to the workers who built the pyramids to keep them strong and healthy. The Russians made garlic as "replace antibiotics" and known as "Russian penicillin" because it believed to contain 1 / 10 good penicillin.

The benefits of garlic for health was very popular among the people since ancient times.
beanow said…
Beautiful natural composition! I love it!
Anton said…
I can almost feel the smell
kaslkaos said…
You are a gifted, very gifted, photographer. That is beautiful garlic!
myonlyphoto said…
Hi Will, yes she did, and she is getting more this year, I guess she was happy with the result, lol. You know Will, you are right, me too when I cook the same thing over and over, it is not really same but comes out good, but when I repeat exactly I don't know what happens, it is hard to get the same - but this is only for cooking, and not baking. Otherwise in baking it becomes different recipe, lol.

Oh Will don't talk to me about Matthew growing up. The things he does, we just seeing the little man growing. The best is he loves letters, and every time we go to the store, drive - he spells letters out, of course the one he knows, and he knows half of the alphabet.

Will thanks again for commenting, I been busy for a while, but should be back on track soon.

Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Susanne. I am the same, garlic is almost in every dish of mine. Unfortunately, my mom's garlic will be almost gone soon, lol. Susanne, thanks again for your visit, comment, and latest visit at the facebook. All the best, Anna :).
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Marvin.
Nothing like garlic in every dish, lol.
Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Carol, you actually made me laugh, lol. But yes on the pictures even it is messy, it is kind of nice. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Ilan. You know it is possible for you to smell it, lol, they say that our brain can do that, just by looking at the photo. Nice to see you back, Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Joan I do to miss having garden. When I was younger, my parents had a big one, the only thing ever we got from the store was bread, sometimes butter and meat, everything else was grown. Yeap me and you, lol.... Thanks again for your comment Joan. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Thomas, appreciated your kind comment. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Hi Dick, yes garden is nice. I have small now, but may be one day I will be able to have bigger one. Summer is really over in here, fall colors though are amazing. Dick thanks for your visit, and have a good week. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Hi John, and thanks so much for your kind comment. I don't know if I am amazing cook, but all I know that Matthew and my husband never complain, lol. Another cookbook on the market, I probably wouldn't survive the competition, same with photography, lol. But I do it for my own pleasure, cooking is fun and relaxing. Your wife definitely knows what's important too, lol, nothing like good food. Thanks again for your visit and comment, I should be seeing you shortly. Hope all is well. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Hey holdingmoments that is okay, we all have own preferences. However, big thanks for enjoying my garlic photo. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Max, your visits short long or even if you peek, they are always appreciated. Cooking journal I keep, especially now, since I have so much to do that is actually hard to keep up with my memory, lol. Plus I am not getting any younger, lol. I don't know if I want another stress, there is lot of competition going on, lol. Max thanks again for your visit and another visit. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Cheffie-Mom thanks. I like farmer's markets too, but I actually never made to one this year, lol. Thanks again for your comment and visit. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks JB. Yes I do cook a lot. I just got fed up with going one, not getting what I want, and getting too much salt in my meals, and paying too much especially tips, they really do add up. Yes if comes to tasting food Matthew is really adventurous, lol. Thanks JB for your visit again, and comment, appreciated. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Oh Medam you are funny. You should bring bunch of parsley with you on the bus, it works wonders, lol. I actually add parsley to most of the dishes with garlic. That was funny ...... Thanks again for your kind comment and visit Medam. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks George. Hey there is nothing wrong with cooking with garlic. Thanks again for your comment, appreciated. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Hey Bee you are so right, tomato goes great with garlic. Thanks for sharing your ingredients, I may try that one day. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Oswegan I knew you would like this one, especially when I cannot compete with your great photo textures, lol. Thanks again for your kind visit and comment. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Philip I do to miss it, but I still have my mom with big garden, lol. Thanks again for your comment and visit, appreciated. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Hi spookydragonfly, hey your images are amazing, and I am glad that I found you. Thanks for visiting me back, and I will probably see you shortly soon as I am done here, lol. I fell behind a bit .... Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Bhavesh Chhatbar thanks, I think garlic in general is perfect. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Hey Peter thanks for sharing your garlic story. That is absolutely funny, lol. She must have age a lot of them to create that massive effect, lol. I guess garlic does that to some people. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Zbyszek, przepraszam ze ty maz problem ze twojim zdrowiem, i mam nadzieję, że wkrótce wyzdrowiejesz.
Czosnek może czynić cuda. Dziekuje i pozdrawiam. Ania :)
myonlyphoto said…
Ruth thanks so much for your comment. Yes second year with Matthew, and I don't know where the time go, but it was and will be the most amazing and precious time. Thanks again Ruth. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Parsnip. I am sure that with those ingredients your family is very healthy. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Hi Swubird, thanks for sharing your food story with me, and you are right 'Human beings are a funny species when it comes to food', lol. You know I am meat and potato person too, we had many potatoes, as a matter of fact wagons of potatoes to survive the winter, lol. And of course meat too, as my parents used to kill a pig every year. The food and cooking has gone really wild these days, however, the basics will always come back after you. Thanks again my friend for your lovely comment. Anna :)
FoOliSh said…
Hi Anna

nice photography
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Foolish for visiting and commenting. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks JJ. Yes October is almost over too, and Matthew is enjoying fall a lot. He spends a lot of time outside walking and picking up leaves. He loves playgrounds, and chases other children. He is very loud, lol. Thanks for dropping by my friend, hope you have nice weather around your place. All the best to Jeff. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Hi Lynda thanks so much for your kind comment. Yes the time is flying very much, lol, I cannot even think about getting older, but I guess we are. Matthew is still eating lot of stuff, lol, but this is only due to his teething. All the children in his age I know, have full set of teeth, and he is finally getting 7,8 top set only, lol. Oh well, may be they will last longer... Lynda thanks for dropping by my friend, all the best. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Hey Max-e welcome back, and thanks for the laughs, lol. I didn't know about the fleas, lol, thanks for letting me know. I don't think we need to worry about the vampires here, but never know, Halloween is around the corner. Thanks again, it is always nice to see you back. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Chris, I am glad that you enjoyed my post, laughs are good and healthy. Thanks again for dropping by. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Oh Bram it is nice to see you back, have not seen you ages. Thanks so much for your very informative comment, appreciated all the effort. I will see you later on your photo blog. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks beanow for your kind comment. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Anton, and welcome to my blog. Smells good here too. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks kaslkaos for your very kind words, and welcome to my photo blog. I will pay you visit later my neighbor. Anna :)
RW said…
Love that garlic! Looks good taste good! :D
myonlyphoto said…
Roger thanks. I love garlic too. Too bad my batch is almost eaten, and the winter is not here yet, lol. Thanks for dropping by my friend. Anna :)
Zbyszek said…
Podobno najzdrowsze warzywo:)
myonlyphoto said…
Zbyszek dziekuje bardzo. Anna :)
Aron said…
I'd say you picked the right one! Great photo.