Think twice about pairing herbs with heart medications. A study from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology says that there are about 30 herbal supplements you should avoid if you take blood-thinning medications, such as warfarin.

You can check out the full list of problematic herbs at www.health.com. The list includes herbal favorites, such as garlic, green tea and hawthorn. The study says that when these herbal supplements are taken with blood-thinning medication, it can be hazardous to your health. So let’s break down the more well-known herbs to see what causes the problem.

Garlic is commonly used to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and blood pressure, and is sometimes used as a blood thinner. But according to the study, the risk of bleeding increases when garlic is mixed with warfarin. This is because the anti-clotting agents prevent wounds from closing.

Watch out for the garlic when on heart medication. You shouldn't mix the two.
Photo by CarbonNYC/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carbonnyc/

Green tea’s antioxidants and vitamins help people lose weight, fight cancer, maintain healthy cholesterol levels and increase their alertness. But, when taken with blood-thinners, the results are not so great. The Health article says that green tea contains vitamin K, which can possibly counteract the effect of warfarin.

Hawthorn is a well known heart-helper; it's because of its heart healing properties that it can cause problems with blood-thinning medication. When hawthorn strengthens heart contractions, it can interact and cause problems with people on heart-failure medications.

Hawthorn is good for the heart, as long as you aren't taking a heart medication.
Photo by Durlston Country Park/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/durlston/2806678150/

Remember that these herbs are usually OK to use sparingly in foods. Dr. Gina Mohammed, a contributing author to The Herb Companion, cautions how one may react to this study. "The criticisms of herb and drug combinations tend to refer to herbal extracts and supplements, rather than to the ordinary culinary use of the fresh or dried herb," Mohammed says. "In small culinary amounts, there may not ... be a problem with most herbs. However, eaten in considerable quantities, or used in concentrated form, or in very susceptible individuals, they may be problematic. Some herbs might be advised against, in any amount, for individuals undergoing certain types of procedures or treatments, or subject to certain health conditions, so it's always best to get professional advice in such cases."

If you’re on any type of heart medication, you should definitely talk with a doctor and take some time out of your busy day to carefully go through the full list of herb supplements to watch out for while on heart medication. Even if you aren’t on heart medications, it’s still good to understand what you are eating and how it affects your heart.

Patsy Bell Hobson is a garden writer and a travel writer. For her, it's a great day when she can combine the two things she enjoys most: gardening and traveling. Visit her personal blog at http://patsybell.com/ and read her travel writings at http://www.examiner.com/x-1948-Ozarks-Travel-Examiner.

In my Zone 6 garden there are always three kinds of tomatoes: a paste tomato for sauces, a cherry tomato, because these small tomatoes are always the first to ripen (and later, when the big tomatoes are producing, these small ones will be dried), and a big, meaty tomato for eating fresh (and for bragging rights). I love tomatoes and when I saw Tomatoes Garlic Basil (St. Lynn's Press, 2010), I judged the book by its cover. It is beautiful. Eventually, I was tempted to open the paperback tribute to the garden and kitchen's favorite produce and I'm glad that I did. The book only gets better!

Tomatoes, garlic and basil are the holy trinity of the vegetable garden.

Doug Oster's Tomatoes Garlic Basil is a love letter about our favorite home garden produce. If you are one of the millions of backyard gardeners who grow tomatoes, this book is for you. Tomatoes are the star of the show. And, just like most gardens, basil and garlic have strong supporting roles in the book that magnify the magic of home grown tomatoes.

The book will not overwhelm you with soil science and plant genetics. It will give you some good advice about soil preparation and plant selection. The pleasure of reading this book grows as Oster offers us many choices with these three simple garden staples.

Like most gardeners, Oster is generous in sharing his experience and recipes. If you are new to gardening, try the simple combination of these three plants. He also encourages people who do not have garden space and shares some planting options. Each chapter begins with a garden or food quote that ties into the chapter. In Chapter 2, I was inspired by "Summer Celebrations" and looked forward to incorporating some of his ideas as I create new traditions for my own family. And by the time you get to the great advice in Chapter 9, which is about soil preparation and weed control, Oster will feel like an old neighbor

Oster is still on the big adventure of trying some different tomato plants every year as well as growing his favorites. It's a good idea and you will never run out of tomato varieties to try. After reading this book you will be able to speak about basil and garlic as well as tomatoes with any home gardener.

This book would make a great gift for either a new or experienced gardener, as well as for the recipients of your produce bounty. (I recommend you buy the print version to enjoy the artful photographs.) The only difficult part is deciding whether to put this book with my cookbooks or on the shelf with the gardening books. I decided to take the book into the kitchen and try the recipes with my own fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil.

I enjoyed the humorous and serious gardening stories and there are plenty of artsy photographs throughout the book. I will definitely put Doug's recipes and gardening tips to use this summer.

Cherry tomatoes are heavy producers.

Book Details

• Tomatoes Garlic Basil: The Simple Pleasures of Growing and Cooking Your Garden's Most Versatile Veggies by Doug Oster
• Paperback: 272 pages.
• Publisher: St. Lynn's Press; 1st edition, ISBN-10: 0981961517 and ISBN-13: 978-0981961514
• See Doug Oster's Blog at http://www.dougoster.com/books/ to read “My favorite story from Tomatoes Garlic Basil.” 

I don’t know about you, but soup is a winter staple my house. We stock up on a variety of canned soups—rich in potatoes, carrots and beef—whenever they are on sale at our local supermarket. They always warm my husband and me up on frigid days.

According to Brigitte Mars, nutritional consultant from The Huffington Post, herbs and spices can also help improve circulation during winter months. (Click here to read the story.) Mars suggests these seven herbs and spices:

1. Black Pepper. It has antiseptic and antioxidant properties.

2. Cardamom. Early Ayurvedic texts recommended this spice for skin and urinary problems, as well as an aid for digestion. It also helps open the respiratory passages. Try our recipe for Yogurt Apple Pudding with Cardamom.

3. Cayenne. This spice helps relieve chills, coughs and congestion, improves poor circulation and strengthens weak digestion. Take internally, in tincture or capsule form, to invigorate the blood. 

4. Cinnamon. This spice is a warming agent and is regarded as an antiseptic and a digestive tonic. It may also lower blood sugar. Try our recipe for Cinnamon-Pecan Brittle.

5. Garlic. It is known for its antioxidant protection and its antibacterial, anti-carcinogenic, anti-coagulant, antifungal and antiviral properties. Medicinally, it’s also helpful for heart disease and treating colds, flu, and viral infections. It improves circulation by helping prevent blood clumps. Try our recipe for Garlic-Miso Broth.

6. Ginger. It is used for the circulatory and digestive systems, coughs, colds, aches and pains. Mars recommends ginger baths. They are warming, relax muscles and improve circulation for all parts of the body. Try our body care recipe for Ginger Mint Body Glow.

7. Horseradish. High in vitamin C, it is an antiseptic and decongestant used to open respiratory passages. It is also used to treat colds, congestion, coughs, inflammation, indigestion and even a sluggish libido. Try our recipe for Salmon Loaf with Horseradish Sauce.

It may not be the best thing for your breath, but garlic sure does help your heart. The idea of using garlic medicinally is not a new idea. Garlic bulbs were used in China and India as blood thinners and they were also used to treat cervical cancer and dysentery. Also, our March 2009 article, Grow Heart Health, listed garlic as an herbal mainstay for heart health. However, a new study has learned more about this powerful herb.

The Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine discovered how freshly crushed garlic, as opposed to dried or cooked garlic, protects the heart. Freshly cut garlic generates hydrogen sulfide. This gas, when used in excess, can become poisonous but, when used sparingly, functions as a compound that can protect the heart.

Health researcher Yulia Berry says that hydrogen sulfide acts as a chemical messenger allowing blood vessels to relax and flow more freely. It usually disappears when garlic is dried, processed or cooked. 

Dr. Dipak K. Das led the study, which published these findings in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The researchers gave freshly crushed garlic to one group of lab rats and processed garlic to another group. They studied how the rats reacted and recovered from simulated heart attacks. “Both crushed and processed garlic reduced damage from lack of oxygen, but the fresh garlic group had a significantly greater effect on restoring good blood flow in the aorta and increased pressure in the left ventricle of the heart,” Das says in the CNN article, Protect your heart with fresh garlic. 

Photo by Marco Veringa/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcoveringa/

Although both groups fared better with garlic the rats given freshly crushed garlic recovered from their simulated heart attacks more quickly and had better blood flow. 

Garlic can help lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol levels and stabilize blood sugar levels. Garlic can also decrease platelet and blood clotting, two of the most common causes of strokes and heart attacks. 

The American Dietetic Association suggests an individual must take 600mg to 900mg, or 1 fresh clove, a day to see the health benefits of garlic. It's worth the bad breath!

( Herbs for Bad Breath .) 

Incorporate more garlic into your lifestyle with these healthy recipes:

• Creamy Garlic Spinach Dip 
• Raw Garlic Fettunta
• Roasted Garlic 

Garlic is easy to grow, and while it is relatively hassle-free, you will reap some pretty awesome rewards at the end of the growing season. 

There is no time like the now-time (late fall) to think about planting your bulbs, and I have a couple quick tips to get your garlic garden started!

1. Get the grocery store goods: You could pay a bundle for a bulb or two of garlic at your local nursery, and it might grow.  But, if you just want to have some garlic to spice up your kitchen and are unconcerned with knowing the exact variety, there is a much easier and cheaper way to get started.  Go to the grocery store!  All you need to plant garlic is a garlic bulb, and you can buy a pack of 10 or 11 for under a buck, or buy a string at your local farmer's market!  But, make sure to pick the organic variety - other bulbs may have been grown with artificial fertilizers or be pumped with hormones that prevent new growth.

The garlic you buy in the store is a garlic bulb. Buy an organic bulb, and you're well on your way to growing garlic! Here are some I harvested this summer that came from an organic Mexican variety.

2. Split up the bulb: A garlic bulb is typically composed of about 8-10 cloves. Split up the bulb and set aside the smallest cloves for kitchen use. With your four or five remaining UNPEELED cloves, head out to the garden and find an optimum spot that gets plenty of sun.  Most of garlic's growth is vertical, and it can get quite tall, so cloves can be planted near eachother - about five inches apart without issue. It's important to plant garlic in the late fall or early winter (in most climates) because it needs a very long growing season. In the winter, it can work on developing its roots and forming its bulb and in the summer, it will begin to grow.

3. Plant the cloves: Dig a small hole 6-8 inches and, with the pointy end up and the stout end down, push the garlic directly into the soil. If you have any leftover coffee grounds, a handful on top of the clove will help it grow, as garlic likes an acidic soil pH. But, if you are not growing the garlic near a sidewalk, a foundation or in a rocky area, this shouldn't be a concern. Cover the clove with soil and a bit of mulch to keep it insulated over the winter. 

4. Sit back and relax: Garlic needs very little attention except attentive weeding. Move the mulch aside when temperatures are warm. Water it normally, holding off in times of rain. Garlic flowers are large, beautiful ball-shaped blooms, but if you let your plant flower, the bulb will likely not grow as large, so cut off flower stalks as you see them.You may notice over the winter that bulbs may begin to sprout - but do not be concerned. Even if they die down in the frost of the winter, they will come back next spring, and will be ready to harvest in the fall.

5. Harvesting time: When the leaves have yellowed and died, it is time to dig up your cloves, which are now ... tada ... garlic bulbs!

Garlic flowers are very beautiful. But if your main concern is harvesting the largest possible bulb, you should snip off flower stalks so the plant can focus its energy into bulb growth. I plant several cloves each year so I can enjoy both the beautiful flowers and the larger bulbs.

And it really is just that simple. Garlic may very well be the easiest herb to grow.

For more information about garlic, read these Herb Companion articles:

• Dancing in the Kitchen with Garlic
• Garlic Obsession
• The Goodness of Garlic 

If you've got a question, I've got your answer! Shoot an e-mail over to tmiller@ogdenpubs.com.

You can check out the Lemon Verbena Lady at her blog  http://lemonverbenalady.blogspot.com.

We love to grow our own garlic. The taste is so much better than from the grocery store. 

Here is a variety called 'Romanian Red'. 

It is a long storing porcelain hardneck garlic. It has a hot and pungent flavor with a considerable bite. I never knew there were so many different types of garlic until I attended  the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival in Saugerties, New York several years ago. It was just this past weekend, but plan on going next year if you are in the area. It is the last full weekend of September.

I am always looking for ways to use my rosemary plants before the cold weather comes since rosemary is not hardy for us. The comments from my last posting encouraged me to give you other herbal jelly recipes especially ones with rosemary. Since I do not drink alcohol, I like to make jelly with it. I have a pet peeve though when I am making jelly. If the proportions are not exact, you get an extra 4 oz. jar when you are not expecting it!  I have found that 1 1/2 cups of liquid and 3 1/2 cups of sugar makes four 8-ounce jars of jelly. If you have more of either liquid or sugar, you get that extra jar. So I have changed CERTO's recipe for Herbed Garlic Jelly and made it my own by combining a couple of different recipes. My notes are contained in the recipe.

Rosemary Garlic Jelly
Makes 4 to 8 ounce jars

• Water
• 1 1/4 cups dry white wine (I use Pinot Grigio)
• 1/4 cup minced garlic (I use a whole head, maybe more)
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 3 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon butter or margarine
• 1 pouch CERTO Fruit Pectin

1. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Boil jars in water for 10 minutes. Let stand in hot water until ready to use.

2. Mix wine, garlic, vinegar and rosemary in 3 or 4 quart saucepot. Stir in sugar. Add butter or margarine to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil, reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. (This helps suspend the rosemary and garlic in the mixture.) Bring mixture to full rolling boil that can't be stirred down. Take saucepot off the burner and add package of Certo quickly. Return to boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. If there is foam and there should not be much, it should disappear when stirred before placing in jars. If there is a lot of foam, skim it with a spoon.

3. Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with 2-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars in pot or canner and make sure that water covers jars by 1 to 2 inches. Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process the jars for 5 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

4. Use it over a block of cream cheese with crackers or put a teaspoon or two on a piece of boneless, skinless chicken or pork in the last 15 minutes of baking.

This is a great addition to your upcoming Halloween party. I have one more jelly recipe with rosemary in it, but I am tinkering with it. The cold weather is coming so I will be out harvesting the pineapple sage and rose geranium leaves next week for the additional jelly recipes I am making this year. More jelly recipes to share! Please stay tuned!

Q: What is the best way to grow and dry garlic? I live in Minnesota, is there a list of herbs that I can grow, harvest and dry for my personal use?
—Sent via e-mail from J. Werlinger

A: Growing garlic is fairly easy. However, harsh Minnesota weather isn’t exactly the ideal growing climate for garlic.

Photo by graibeard/Courtesy of Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8393288@N04/ 

Growing Garlic

Latin name:  Allium sativum L. 

Soil condition: Garlic thrives in well-drained soil with a pH level between 4.5 and 8.3. If you are not sure if the soil to too acidic or too basic, test the soil by purchasing a pH test strip from your local garden store. Garlic is not drought tolerant and does not do well in extremely wet soil.

Temperature: Garlic will typically germinated in 60 to 80 degree weather.
Maintenance: Keep an eye out for these pests: Onion thrips, armyworms and onion maggots. Although pests are not a big issue with garlic, it is something to keep in the back of your mind. If you are planning on growing garlic, make sure you stay on top of weeds, as garlic does not fare well against them.

For additional reading on growing garlic in Minnesota, visit The University of Minnesota: Extension.

Drying Garlic

Regardless of which method you choose to dry garlic, the most important component is good air circulation. You will want to store your drying garlic in a dark and cool location.
Hanging garlic: This is the method I recommend as it efficiently dries the garlic and minimal space is required. Tie 7-12 garlic stalks together to forms a bundle. Check on the garlic maybe once a month. The type of garlic will depend on the drying time, however, the process will take anywhere from 6 to 8 months.

For additional reading on drying herbs, read DIY: Drying Fresh Herbs.

Growing Herbs in Minnesota

The USDA Hardiness Zones notes that Minnesota's average minimum winter temperatures range from -20 to -45 degrees. That being said, growing herbs indoors throughout the winter months is a great option for colder climates.

Growing Herbs Indoors

Growing herbs indoors is a great way to enjoy summer flavors during the cold winter months. These herbs do fairly well indoors: basil, bay, cilantro, chives, dill, ginger, lemon verbena, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme. Keep in mind each herb’s growing requirements (watering, sunlight, fertilizer, etc.).

For additional reading on this subject, read long time herb gardener Betsy Strauch's article Wintering Herbs Indoors. If you are interested in creating a winter herb drying display basket, read Rosemary McCreary's An Indoor Visual Feast. 

Do you live in a cold climate-growing zone? What herbs do you have success with and which do you bring indoors during the winter months? Drop me a comment or e-mail me at: snelson@ogdenpubs.com.

According to TastingTable, black garlic is very trendy with foodies right now. It's a new variety of garlic that has recently hit the market. When I first saw an image of black garlic I thought it looked like something I had baked, meaning I had messed up yet another meal by leaving my dish on the stove for a little too long. In reality, it is just garlic that has been fermented with nothing special added to it.

Black garlic develops its dark color, soft texture and sweet flavor while it ferments for about a month. Not only is it tasty, it is healthy—it is said to help prevent cancer and it is packed with twice the amount of antioxidants as raw garlic!

To incorporate black garlic into your next entrée, visit www.blackgarlic.com for recipes such as Black Garlic & Tomato Sauce, Mushroom & Black Garlic Risotto and Oven Baked Beef with Black Garlic.

www.gobizkorea.com

Culinary herbalist, cookbook author, writer and food photographer, Pat Crocker is passionate about food and herbs. Visit her at www.riversongherbals.com.

Anyone who has ever grown garlic knows how delicious the green tops are in spring salads and perhaps have even tossed a handful into a soup stock. With their heady garlic scent and bright green goodness, these edible green grasses are just the thing for winter weary palates.

I always marvel at the thoughtfulness of nature. Just when my supply of homegrown garlic cloves has dwindled to nothing or sprouted into thin air, along comes the green garlic tops to keep my lighter spring recipes singing with the flavor of fresh garlic.

For me, the green tops have always been a wonderful passing thing like asparagus or fiddleheads: here for a short while, but gone for another year once the plant moves on through its life cycle. But my friend Simon [that's his hand harvesting the tops for me to take home] grows organic garlic and he dries the green crop so that he can enjoy the garlic essence and nutritional benefit all winter. If you have a food drier, you can do the same. I will add the powdered green garlic he gave me into soups, sauces and dishes like mashed potatoes. How easy it will be to have the fabulous garlic taste ready to scoop out and sprinkle over vegetable purées and melt into cream sauce or even to use at the table as a condiment.

I'm saving my dried garlic greens and guarding them like green gold. I transferred them to a dark glass bottle and keep them in a cool dark cupboard. One day in November, I will bring them out, add them to a root salad dressing or roasted vegetable dish and remember the day in April when I spent the afternoon with Simon photographing all the green things sprouting at his farm.

Meanwhile, here is what I did with the green tops. You can use chicken breasts or thighs for this easy, one dish meal.

Roasted Green Garlic Chicken
Serves 4

• 4 large chicken thighs, skin removed
• 4 carrots cut into 2-inch pieces
• 16 small tri-colored potatoes, halved or 4 potatoes, quartered
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or sage or thyme (or a combination)
• 1 6-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
• ¼ cup chopped fresh green garlic tops or chives, optional

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Arrange chicken, fleshy part up, in a shallow roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet. Distribute the carrots and potatoes in one layer evenly around the chicken thighs. Drizzle olive oil over vegetables and chicken. Sprinkle herbs evenly over all. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring the vegetables once.

2. Stir in artichoke hearts and bake another 10 minutes or until chicken and vegetables are cooked. Serve, garnished with green garlic tops if using.

Do you remember that Facebook chain letter called “25 Random Things About Me?” If you don’t, it was a popular trend to write 25 things, facts, habits or goals about yourself on Facebook then publish it so that all your friends can read it, learn something, and create their own! Well, I like the idea but I’ve decided to tweak it a bit and make my own version called "15 Herbs for Me.” In no particular order, here is a list of herbs that interest me.

Photo by Smoobs/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/smoo 

1.) Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). There are fine hairs on the leaves and stems of stinging nettle that contain irritating chemicals that are released when the plant comes into contact with skin. Trust me, I ran through a field of this stuff when I was too young to know any beter, and it wasn’t pleasant. Despite this, nettle is often used to relieve seasonal allergies.

2.) Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). This sweet-smelling purple flowering herb is widely used in perfumes, soaps, shampoos and sachets. 

3.) Aloe (Aloe vera). The gel in the inner portion of the leaf is widely used for the treatment of minor skin conditions. I use aloe gel to sooth sunburn and razor burn. 

4.) Basil (Ocimum basilicum). The fragrant green leaves of this herb are great in salads and can be used fresh or dry to flavor pasta, stew and poultry.

5.) Artichoke leaves (Cynara). Artichoke extract is useful in support of general liver function and prevention of some digestive disorders.

6.) Chives (Allium schoenoprasum). Add flavor to virtually any dish with chives. I like chives in eggs, on my bagels and of course in baked potatoes.

7.) Alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Contains a high mineral and vitamin content; is rich in protein and calcium. Alfalfa seeds are useful in the form of sprouts. They are delicious in salads, soups and sandwiches.

8.) Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). If you’re feeling lightheaded and out of sorts, this herb is used to enhance cognitive functions and give you a little energy boost.

9.) Cayenne (Capsicum annuum). A popular spice used in different regional styles of cooking. Cayenne contains capsaicin, which may be used to reduce pain and inflammation caused by injury.

10.) Arnica (Arnica montana). Applied topically as a cream, gel, ointment, tincture or salve, arnica relieves soreness and reduces swelling. I’ve used arnica on my ankles after a good workout to reduce inflammation and relieve any pain.

11.) Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba). This herb is used to treat altitude sickness and headaches because of its ability to increase blood flow to the brain.

12.) Shiitake (Lentinula edodes). Shiitake mushrooms are packed with iron and vitamin C. I like the rich flavor of these mushrooms in a spicy stir fry or in some miso soup.

13.) Garlic (Allium sativum). It’s been called the “stinking rose” in light of its many benefits. Garlic is rich in manganese, a good source of vitamin B6 and vitamin C.

14). German chamomile (Matricaria recutita). Known for it’s mild sedating effects and widely used in herbal teas.

15.) Catnip, catmint (Nepeta cataria). Cats have a bizarre reaction to catnip. But why? According to Arthur O. Tucker and Sharon S. Tucker, authors of “Catnip and the Catnip Response,” the chemical nepetalactone in catnip is the thing that triggers the unique sequence of responses in domestic cats.

Is their a particular herb that interests you? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment!

References: 

• Herbal Medicine From the Heart of the Earth by Dr. Sharol Marie Tilgner (Wise Acres LLC, 2009)
• Catnip and the Catnip Response by Arthur O. Tucker and Sharon S. Tucker (Springer New York, 1988)

Last night, I was surprised to hear on the news what Ankeny, Iowa recently used to de-ice their roads: garlic salt.

Photo by dogfaceboy/ Courtesy flickr

The garlic, which was mixed with regular road salt, was donated by spice producer Tone Brothers, Inc. The nine tons of garlic salt would have ended up in a landfill if it hadn’t have been for this donation.

It’s great to see how people continue to discover new ways herbs can be used in this modern day in age, but I have to wonder how this new use really works. Why did they have to mix the garlic salt with regular road salt? Was the use of less road salt the main benefit, saving road salt for future icy days? Or was the benefit a sustainable solution for using landfill-destined waste. Does garlic salt actually work best for ensuring safety on the roads? And wouldn’t the roads smell like a pizza joint? Tell me what you think!

I’ll leave you with these Herb Companion garlic articles:
• The Goodness of Garlic 
• Garlic: Nature’s Gift for Life 
• Garlic Makes it Good
 

We have a big section on all things garlic in the upcoming issue of The Herb Companion, so I thought I would share one of my favorite garlic recipes here. You probably already know that garlic is great for your health and that it can fight viruses and help prevent cancer. To get the best health benefits, you should try to eat about one raw or lightly cooked garlic clove per day—not too much of a tall order. This delicious pasta dish (a take on the Italian classic aglio e olio) will more than cover your garlic needs for the day.

Pasta with Garlic and Olive Oil
Serves 6

• 1 pound pasta, such as spaghetti or linguini
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 10 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Prepare pasta according to package directions, then drain and set aside. While pasta cooks, heat oil over medium. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly (do not it let get too brown). Remove from heat; stir in salt, parsley and pepper. Add pasta; stir well. Serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired.