Garlic!

One of the highlights of M’s birthday yesterday, for me, was this:

Garlic? Yes, garlic. The purplish bulbs are organic, West Australian-grown garlic that just smell divine. They’re from Mr Organic in Fremantle. We were standing at the stall chatting yesterday when I started to smell this wonderful garlicky odour. Looked around and found that I was standing next to a box of garlic – beautiful purplish red bulbs, heavy with garlicky essence. Mr Organic told me that the garlic was grown by a retired couple living in Baldivis.

The other garlic in the picture – on the right, the white bulbs – is the usual variety I can find in the shops (or markets). I think it’s imported (from China?) and by the time we get it it’s dried out and a shadow of its former self, and with practically no garlic odour at all. It seems to be quite difficult to find locally grown garlic around the place. I wonder why. The local stuff is so much fresher and wonderful I’m sure we’d all choose it over the much sadder imported variety.

The car was faintly garlic-scented by the time we got home.

We spent much of yesterday in Fremantle with M’s family. Had lunch at Benny’s, and chatted while watching the rain. A lovely way to spend a birthday, I think.