Students treated to gourmet lunch using Taranaki garlic

Original article on Stuff.co.nz

Tasting an array of garlic-infused delicacies must have brought a dose of enthusiasm to high school students from around Taranaki, who are taking part in a region-wide growing trial.

About 40 teenagers from the eight schools involved in the trials were treated to a gourmet lunch at Novotel in New Plymouth after a field trip to Bell Block’s Longridge garlic processing plant on Thursday.

The event was to celebrate the end of the first year of Venture Taranaki’s garlic growing trial, part of its Branching Out project.

The project has identified a number of innovative, commercially viable food and fibre value chain opportunities for Taranaki, to help the region diversify and supplement its dairy and energy production.

Garlic bread, prepared with four different varieties of garlic, was handed around so students could compare flavours.

Butter was the most obvious taste in a slice made from imported Chinese garlic, but the bread flavoured with Taranaki-grown Turban garlic packed a delicious punch.

Executive chef Richard Ponder said he chose different varieties of garlic to match the dish they were going into.

The garlic featured in lamb sliders with garlic aioli, smoked brisket tortillas with cumin pickled garlic, Yorkshire puddings with garlic mousse and grilled mushrooms, and seafood croquettes with garlic hummus.

Poppy Darvill-Jackson from Taranaki Diocesan School and Joe Stachurski of Inglewood High School were keen to taste the various dishes.

“It’s like being judges in Masterchef,” quipped Poppy.

The Yorkshire pudding and mushroom dish had just a hint of garlic.

“It’s really creamy,” the pair said together.

The lamb sliders also got a nod of appreciation.

“The meat has a lot of flavour, you taste the garlic at the end,” Joe said.

Both also enjoyed the stronger flavour in the smoked brisket tortillas with cumin pickled garlic.

“I reckon my Dad would have liked it even more, he’s a big garlic fan,” Poppy said.

Project advisor Ross Redpath, who is the agricultural adviser for the LA Alexander Trust, which is supporting the trial, said the eight schools taking part in the first year of the trial each planted two or three varieties.

Altogether, about 1000 garlic cloves went into the ground.

“It was really good because everything wasn’t perfect so there was great learning,” he said.

“Initially everything grew really well, but with the nature of the school year, managing the weeding was a challenge for some.”

The garlic crop at Francis Douglas Memorial College was the first to be affected by rust and then got harvested a bit late, but it had still produced a good crop, he said.

“We’re going to plant earlier this year and harvest at the beginning of December, when the students are still at school.”

This year, nine schools are taking part.

“It’s really neat to have the schools and kids involved,” he said.

“For the school learning purposes, this just ticks so many boxes, it’s relevant, local, multifaceted, you’ve got the growing of it, the value-added side, food technology, hospitality, there is so much.”

He said the trial success so far showed the potential in the region for the crop, and for garlic to be sold by variety in much the same way as apples were marketed, he said.

“You could sell Taranaki turban garlic, it would be a point of difference.”

– Taranaki Daily News