Chef Chuck's Pickled Garlic

Aglio Marinato

Pickled garlic is a flavorful condiment that's delicious to eat straight out of the jar. It has a crunch to it and can be used in salads, or can be served with a variety of meats or cheeses. It's wonderful stuffed in olives! I grew so much garlic, that I am always looking for different ways to preserve it :)

Pickled Garlic
garlic, whole cloves
red bell pepper, cut small
bay leaves
whole peppercorns
dried oregano
red hot pepper flakes
salt
olive oil
white vinegar

Peel garlic cloves and place in a sterilized jar along with red bell peppers. Add a few small bay leaves, a few peppercorns, a pinch of oregano, a pinch of red hot pepper flakes,and a pinch of salt. Pour in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and fill the rest of the jar up with white vinegar. Place in the refrigerator for 2 - 3 weeks for optimum flavor.

Chef Chuck's Linguine and Garlic

Linguine Aglio Olio e Peperoncino

Pasta, garlic and peppers is a flavorful, quick and easy recipe to make. These ingredients are all homegrown from my garden which makes this dish close to my heart. All the flavors of Italy. I used red nubian garlic, which has a wonderful sweetness to it. I infused the oil with stromboli hot chile peppers, which originited from one of the great islands, any hot pepper will work.


Pasta and Garlic
1/2 pound pasta
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
red hot pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
parmigiano cheese, grated
2 stromboli peppers, whole

In a large pot of heavily salted boiling water, cook pasta of your choice till al dente. During the last minute of cooking the pasta, in a frying pan heat olive oil on medium heat. Add garlic, peppers and pepper flakes to infuse the oil, stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute, be careful not to burn the garlic. Add cooked pasta to oil, season with more red hot pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Grate parmigiano cheese over the dish, serves 2.

Chef Chuck's Taralli

Taralli

Taralli, are Italian biscuit rings, great for snacking anytime of the day. They are made of fresh dough, boiled and then baked. Hard, crunchy and hot with red hot pepper flakes, garlic and fennel. Great for dipping in a glass of wine. Plain taralli can be made for teething babies.


Taralli
2 teaspoons yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
fennel
red hot pepper flakes
garlic cloves, minced


Combine yeast, water and sugar and let rest for 5 minutes. In a mixer add yeast mixture, slowly add flour and salt till combined. Work dough on a floured board for just a minute or two, divide into 24 pieces. Roll into rope shapes and add fennel, pepper flakes and or garlic then make a circle and pinch ends, lay on a floured baking sheet. I make them this way so I can please everyone, some hot and some just with salt. Cover and let rise 15 minutes. Bring a pot of water to boil add 1 or 2 taralli at a time and cook for a few seconds or until they float. Remove and place on a kitchen towel continue boiling the rest. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.