A Garlic Feast

This summer at Lettuce Link we're lucky to have a stellar intern crew. Today, we're featuring the writing of April, a Seattle native, Duke University student, and garlic-harvester extraordinaire.

Hello! My name is April and I am a new intern here at Lettuce Link. I have lived in Seattle my entire life, but I had never seen or heard of Solid Ground, Lettuce Link, Marra Farm or the Seattle Community Farm until this year. I have very little knowledge of farm work but am ready and eager to learn!

At the beginning of my internship, I drove right past both the Seattle Community Farm and Marra Farm, a not realizing that these were the farms that I was looking for. Both are tucked away in residential neighborhoods, and many people pass by not realizing the great work done by staff, volunteers, and community members at these farms.

In my past two weeks at both of these farms I have been astounded at the sheer quantity of fresh vegetables, and occasional fruits, that these small plots of land are able to produce. At Marra Farm, I am in charge of weighing and recording each bin of harvested vegetables each week.

Two Fridays ago, we harvested garlic, and at first I didn’t believe it was garlic. I am used to the white garlic pieces my dad gets from the grocery store, however, this was a deep beautiful purple plant with a long stalk attached. After a further explanation, I figured out it was fresh garlic that needed to be cleaned, weighed and then dried for two weeks.

There must have been at least ten baskets full of garlic bulbs. This garlic could last a long time for families who receive it at the food banks Marra Farm delivers produce to. A little garlic goes a long way, and adds a lot of zing and flavor to any dish. Given the large amount of garlic we harvested, I anticipate there will be wide variety of flavorful, garlicky dishes prepared with Marra Farm garlic.

I was able to bring some of the extra garlic home with me and truly enjoy the “farm to fork” experience. I am looking forward to learning about, growing, and eating new and exciting vegetables this summer!