Embrace the Darkness

Original articles from Winter 2015:
Garlic's Fermentation Innovation by Andy Radtke
Embrace the Darkness: Pair Up with Porter by Tracy Phillippi
In Praise of Braising by Terese Allen

Then

Eating locally during Wisconsin winters isn’t easy. Canning, putting up storage crops, and buying meat in bulk are excellent options, but they’re not for everyone. Many of us need local producers and specialty products to fill the gaps. In this winter issue, we celebrated the dark foods and drinks that nourish and comfort during this season of darkness.

One of those specialty products is as dark as they come: black garlic. It’s fermented using a very precise method, turning cloves from creamy white to pitch black and creating a flavor that we struggled to describe. Author Andy Radtke wrote, “It’s downright candy, grown-up Gummy Bear. Soft and smooth as canned pear with an umami flavor that harkens licorice, date, and well, the polite side of garlic.” Our editor-in-chief Jamie Lamonde put it more simply: “...one of the most insanely delicious flavor experiences ever.”

About the Cover

Five years later, Hillsboro-based Black Garlic North America (BGNA) is thriving and remains the largest producer of black garlic in the country. In fact, we mentioned them again in our Cooking Fresh column in winter 2019 along with Menn’s Organic Garlic, a small farm also in the Driftless area that might soon rise to compete on the local market. Since we last spoke to BGNA, they’ve added certified organic black garlic to their offerings.

While home cooks may not be creating black garlic in their kitchens, interest in other kinds of fermentation is growing. Pickles, kimchi, sauerkraut, sourdough: the art of fermentation is the perfect pastime for cold winter days.

Now

Five years later, Hillsboro-based Black Garlic North America (BGNA) is thriving and remains the largest producer of black garlic in the country. In fact, we mentioned them again in our Cooking Fresh column in winter 2019 along with Menn’s Organic Garlic, a small farm also in the Driftless area that might soon rise to compete on the local market. Since we last spoke to BGNA, they’ve added certified organic black garlic to their offerings.While home cooks may not be creating black garlic in their kitchens, interest in other kinds of fermentation is growing. Pickles, kimchi, sauerkraut, sourdough: the art of fermentation is the perfect pastime for cold winter days.

Future

As climate change continues to warm our Wisconsin winters, we’ll see not only more frost-free days and longer growing seasons, but also an increased chance of extreme weather events that could destroy a farm’s livelihood in a single moment.

However, advancements in food and farming research and technology are improving farmers’ abilities to bring fresh, local foods to our tables even during the darkest season. Local farms and producers, such as Enos Farms, Pasture and Plenty and Bushel & Peck’s, are diversifying to provide microprocessed foods. Hydroponic and aquaponic growers like Superior Fresh and Clean Fresh Food are disrupting unsustainable food systems to produce greens and fish right here in Wisconsin. Farms are extending their seasons with hoop houses and greenhouses. And winter markets are bringing local farms and local eaters together, providing places of warmth and connection during winter months. It’s a wonderful web of local foods that will keep growing as we continue supporting our hard-working local farms.