Aaaaand, just like that…another summer has slipped by! The best thing about fall, in my humble opinion, are the fantastic fairs and festivals we have in Upstate New York. And there are lots of them!

We’re excited to be back at the Mohawk Valley Garlic & Herb Festival this coming Saturday, Sept. 10 in beautiful Little Falls’ Canal Place. If you’ve never been to a garlic festival, you are in for a treat! The organizers enjoy a bit of cheekiness with their motto, “Eat, Stink, and be Merry!”

We’ll bring our favorite cheesy garlic creations (Garlic Marinated Feta, Hexen Truffel, Hungarian Pepper, etc.) AND our freshly churned gelatos. Never one to shy from a challenge, I made a batch of Roasted Garlic Gelato. Roasted garlic is much sweeter than its raw counterpart and has lovely caramel notes. And because we roast it in olive oil, the resulting gelato is creamy and lightly nutty. We will sell out, I have no doubt!

Our Roasted Garlic Gelato will surprise you!

How-To: “Roast” a Large Quantity of Garlic

Roasted Garlic Gelato is not a regular item on our menu, it is true. But we regularly prepare large amounts of it to make our Garlic & Herb Chevre. If you’ve ever stopped by our farm store on garlic-roasting day, you will not soon forget the delightful aroma!

Rather than roasting whole heads in the oven, we place peeled cloves in a saucepan and cover with a good quality olive oil until the cloves are well-submerged. The garlic and oil are then heated on the stovetop at medium-high until bubbling. Stirring at regular intervals, the garlic begins to soften and turn golden. The garlic is ready when it is easily smashed and caramel in color, approximately 20 minutes total cook time.

To make a smooth puree, we whiz the softened cloves in a food processor, adding just enough of the cooking oil to make a soft paste. The result is a versatile staple in any kitchen and can even be frozen in batches for future use.

Try our easy trick to “roast” lots of garlic at once

This Week

Of course, we are at the Mohawk Valley Garlic & Herb Festival in Little Falls this Saturday, 10am-5pm. We are at the Clinton Farmer’s Market on Thursday with ample fresh chicken, eggs, and hand-stretched mozzarella for your tomato salads. Take advantage of our online ordering if you are interested. Our farm store is always open daily, 10am-6pm.

The online farmer’s market Local Foods Mohawk Valley continues to gain traction and new vendors—be sure to check it out!

Thank you, as always. If there is anything we can do for you, please let us know!

Suzie & Peter