Green garlic is in season! And while this bulbous, little vegetable is well-known for its distinct flavor, it’s also widely used to treat medical conditions like atherosclerosis and high cholesterol. 

Harvested early in the spring, green garlic is young garlic picked before the bulb is fully formed. It has a long, green top, a tiny bulb on the end, and it can be slightly pink. Green garlic is less spicy than regular garlic, and it is usually harvested from March through May. 

Green garlic is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, manganese, calcium, phosphorus and selenium.  It can be eaten raw, pickled, baked, roasted, grilled, or sautéed. And you can find it at your local farmer's market. 

Chef Jarrett Stieber of Eat Me Speak Me restaurant shares an easy, delicious and unique way to use these hidden gems and impress your friends and family.

Pork sausage with cabbages, spring garlics and coffee vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS

(Feeds 8)

1 head of green cabbage

• 1 head of red cabbage
• Enough sausage for 8 adults (at least 1 link per person)
• 1 bunch of garlic scapes
• 2 stalks of green garlic
• Butter
• Cider vinegar
• Honey
• Campari (just enough to deglaze and steam off)
• Kosher salt
• Neutral oil (corn or vegetable)

First, place a large pot on a low flame to pre-heat. Split the head of red cabbage in quarters, removing the segments of core, and chop roughly.

Cut the green garlic bulb a few inches from the stalk. Then cut the garlic scapes into bite size pieces.

When all the cutting is done, add a few hefty nobs of butter into the pot and cook the cabbage and garlic over a medium flame, gently, until they are very soft and pleasant smelling.

Do not be afraid to randomly add nobs of butter through this whole process (it will not hurt).

Season the veggies well with kosher salt, then turn the heat on high and deglaze with Campari, a good splash of cider vinegar and a nice bit of honey.

While this is boiling, add a few more nobs of butter. Turn the heat off when you see the butter has emulsified into the sauce.

Next, get the green cabbage, remove the core and cut into whatever size pieces you desire. Blanch in boiling water for a few seconds and immediately shock it in ice water.

Place a skillet on a medium flame for the sausage and a pot on medium flame for the veggies.

Add a neutral oil to the sausage pan and sear the sausages on all sides until they look sexy and are warm through.

In the other pan, add a nob of butter, and when it turns brown, add your cooked red cabbage and garlic mix until it loosens from the heat.

At the last moment, fold in your pretty green cabbage (so its color is not lost) and plate it adorned by a glorious sausage.

Liberally douse your sausage and cabbage with coffee vinaigrette and enjoy. 

FOR VINAIGRETTE:

1/2 cup of cider vinegar

1/2 cup of honey

1/2 cup whole coffee beans

11/2 cups neutral oil (corn or vegetable)

For the vinaigrette, put the ½ cup of cider vinegar, ½ cup of honey and whole coffee beans in a blender with three pinches of salt and turn the blender on high.  Slowly emulsify the oil in. Reserved somewhere cool and dark, this vinaigrette will keep for a few weeks.

For more delicious recipes, click here. 

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