This here thing, garlic and mustard, you see, it’s somethin’ else. My old man, bless his soul, he used to say, “Woman, that garlic mustard, it’ll cure what ails ya!” ‘Course, he said that ’bout everything, that one. But I reckon there’s some truth to it. Garlic, now that’s a powerful thing. And mustard, well, that’s got a kick!
This garlic mustard, you can eat it, they say. When it’s young, you pick it. If it’s old, you gotta cook it good. They say it got some bad stuff in it if it’s old. Makes it bitter. Young garlic mustard, though, that’s good in your salads and such. Gives it a little somethin’ somethin’. Spicy, you know.
Now, if you wanna make your own mustard, you ain’t gotta go to the store. Just get them mustard seeds and grind ’em up. I used to use one of them old coffee grinders. Worked like a charm. Just grind them seeds ’til they’re powder. That’s your mustard powder right there! Easy peasy.
Some folks, they use that strong weed killer on garlic mustard. They call it “RoundUp” or somethin’. I seen it at the store. It’ll kill that garlic mustard dead, ‘fore it makes them little seed things. I don’t use it myself. I just pull the weeds if I have to.
Garlic, that’s good for cookin’ too. You take them little garlic cloves, put ’em in some oil, cook ’em ’til they’re brown. Then you take ’em out. That oil, it’s got that garlic taste now. Good for startin’ your pasta sauce. My old man, he loved his pasta. Used to eat it ’til he was fit to bust. Then he got sick, but the doctors didn’t do nothin’.
- Garlic mustard, you can eat it.
- Young garlic mustard is good in salads.
- Grind mustard seeds to make mustard powder.
- Some folks use weed killer on garlic mustard.
- Cook garlic cloves in oil for flavor.
Folks are always sayin’ how to use garlic in cookin’. I been cookin’ with it my whole life. Ain’t no big secret. You just gotta know what you’re doin’. You chop it up, you throw it in the pot, you let it cook. It ain’t rocket science. Some folks act like it is, though. They are makin’ a fuss. It is just garlic.
And they got all these fancy recipes now. Thirty-minute meals, they call ’em. Back in my day, we cooked all day long. We didn’t have no thirty-minute meals. We had meals that took hours, but they was good. Good and hearty. We ate good back then.
This one fella, he’s got a whole blog about cookin’. He’s teachin’ folks how to cook. Beginners, he calls ’em. Well, I reckon everyone’s gotta start somewhere. Even I had to learn sometime. My mama, she taught me. She was a good cook, my mama.
This garlic mustard grows wild, you know. By the side of the road, in the fields. They say June is the best time to get the leaves. I don’t know ’bout that. I just pick ’em when I see ’em. I ain’t got time to be worryin’ ’bout what month it is.
This recipe I saw, it had garlic, and Dijon mustard, and maple syrup. Maple syrup! Can you believe that? We used to just have plain old mustard. Now they gotta put maple syrup in it. Everything’s gotta be fancy these days. It’s all too much if you ask me.
- Folks make a fuss about cooking with garlic.
- There are fancy recipes with quick cooking times.
- Everyone has to learn to cook somewhere.
- Garlic mustard grows wild.
- Some recipes use Dijon mustard and maple syrup.
I remember one time, I made a big pot of stew. Had all kinds of good stuff in it. Potatoes, carrots, onions, and of course, garlic. And I put some of that garlic mustard in there too. My old man, he ate three bowls of it. Said it was the best stew he ever had.
Garlic and mustard, they go together like two peas in a pod. One’s sharp, one’s strong. They make a good team, I reckon. Just like me and my old man. We was a good team. Most of the time, anyway. We had our spats, like everyone else. But when it’s all said and done. I will never forget the times we had.
I tell you what, that garlic and mustard, it ain’t just for eatin’. It’s good for what ails ya. It’ll clear your head, it’ll open your sinuses. It’s like a little miracle, I swear. They are good.
So, next time you see some garlic mustard growin’ wild, don’t just walk on by. Pick some of them leaves, take ’em home, cook ’em up. You might be surprised at how good they are. And if you got some mustard seeds layin’ around, grind ’em up, make your own mustard. It will be good! And you will see, that I am not lyin’.
You can find garlic mustard in all the places that don’t get the sun all the time. It’s growin’ by the roads and in the fields where the big machines go. The leaves are best in June, like I said, but you can use them other times. They are still good enough. Some people, they eat the flowers too, but I never did that. I like to eat only the leaves.
Well, I reckon that’s all I got to say about garlic and mustard. It’s a simple thing, really. But sometimes, the simple things are the best. Like a good, home-cooked meal. Or a warm hug from someone you love. Or a sunny day after a long, cold winter. Those are the things that matter. I really believe that. I really, truly do.