Farmers' Market Profile: Get Your Garlic On!

Garlic vendor and Pinckney resident Les Abel is the newest addition to the growing Dexter Farmers’ Market on Alpine Street.

Abel and his wife Donna specialize in a type of garlic called metechi, which is well-known for its fiery taste and hot aftertaste.

“This is our first year at any market,” Abel said.

Abel said he has been growing garlic for 25 years, mostly for his own consumption, and only recently began offering it for sale.

“Our love of garlic led us to start propagating it in 2000. After our first year of propagating, we had approximately 30 bulbs.  Soon thereafter, family, friends and neighbors began requesting some of our garlic for themselves," he said. "From there, it’s been an annual process of planting, harvesting, cleaning, drying, curing and replanting so that we could establish a seed bank."

Now the farm boasts a healthy seed bank of more than 100,000, he said.

Currently Abel is selling garlic scapes (the curly tipped heads of the garlic plant) until the rest of the crop is ready for harvesting later this summer.

“By pulling the scapes off the top of a wild garlic plant, all the nutrients go to the bulb, which gives us a nice head of metechi,” he said.

Though most people won’t find scapes in grocery stores, Abel said the crop is just as good to eat as the traditional garlic head.

According to the farm’s website, scapes can be used in a number of culinary dishes, including quiches, omelets, guacamole and salsas.

The couple sells scapes both at the Dexter Farmers’ Market and on their website for $14 a pound or $2 a bundle.

“I love coming to the Dexter market because most people don’t have a clue what I’m selling, so it’s as much of an educational program for me as it is a way to sell my product,” he said.

For more information on the Michigan Garlic Farm, visit www.michigangarlicfarm.com. The Dexter Farmers’ Market is open on Tuesdays from 3-7 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.