An Okotoks chef armed with cloves of garlic will heat things up in Black Diamond this weekend.
Darren Nixon is one of many presenters scheduled to share his knowledge on the benefits and uses of the beloved herb at the fifth annual Garlic Festival in the Griffiths Centre Sept. 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Nixon, who owns Divine Cooking at Home in Okotoks and is the former co-owner and chef of Divine Restaurant, will give a one-hour talk and prepare three dishes using garlic.
“I’m going to talk about some of the background information about garlic from a chef’s point of view,” he said. “I’m going to showcase some of the different ways you can use it – things that people haven’t thought of as much.”
Among them is adding black garlic to a plum dessert.
“Black garlic is not something people typically think of when they think of a dessert,” said Nixon. “Black garlic is a completely different being. It has a sweet, slightly savoury and balsamic taste with a unique, rich flavour. I think it will pair well with plums.”
Nixon said the only garlic he was familiar with while growing up was imported white garlic that came in a mesh bag at the grocery store.
Now people are growing garlic in their gardens, he said.
“The thing I’m so jazzed about is local producers thought, let’s grow garlic, and it grows really well here,” he said. “It’s cool to see options for garlic just within southern Alberta. It’s all really nice garlic, super flavourful and many different types.”
Garlic Festival organizer Evonne Smulders said other presenters include a panel of growers who will talk about garlic types and how to use then, an expert on the medicinal and every day uses for garlic and another about cooking with garlic.
“We try to mix things up every year so we like to give people new information,” she said. “We have a lot of people returning every year. Many people come to buy their winter supply of garlic.”
Smulders said the festival continues to be a hit year after year, with more than 500 attending the free event in 2018.
“People are really interested in that connection with the people who are growing their food,” she said. “It’s really about building community.”
The main floor of the centre will feature displays and garlic-related vendors while the presentations will occur in the basement, said Smulders.
“It’s a perfect space where we can have the talks and the marketplace all in one place,” she said. “We started the Garlic Festival because we saw a need and to provide a place for people to come and buy garlic and get that kind of information.”
