Love it or hate it, garlic is a tasty addition to food. As well as having anti-bacterial properties, garlic also helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
Still not convinced? Well how about the following reasons to convert to adding a bit of garlic to your culinary habits?

Repels Vampires
Cures warts
Grows hair
Wards off the evil eye
Prevents catching the Plague

Black is the new white...

Black Garlic is white Garlic which has been aged under strict patented conditions. Nothing is added to the Garlic apart from heat and time. The Garlic naturally turns black, soft and sweet. The flavours and texture are reminiscent of molasses, fig and raisin with a very subtle undertone of sweet Garlic.

This ageing process removes the smell that stays with you when you consume white garlic. The ageing process also naturally increases Garlic's antioxidant count so Black Garlic has all the health benefits of white garlic but nearly double the anti oxidants.

Black garlic can be used in any number of ways:

-Snack on it straight from the tub. Black Garlic is similar to dried fruit and great snacked straight from the pot.

- Add it to deli-boards. Black Garlic is a great addition to olives, sun dried tomatoes, cheeses, meats and breads.

- Cook with it! Black Garlic is incredibly easy to cook with. It can be added to any meat, fish or vegetable dish. Try putting a few cloves in with your next meal, it goes great with chicken, lamb, pasta dishes.

Recipe idea...Mushroom and Black Garlic Risotto

Ingredients
1 – 1.3 litres of vegetable stock
125g butter
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion – very finely chopped
4 peeled cloves of black garlic – finely sliced.
400g risotto rice (Arborio or Carnoli)
1 small glass of white wine
225g fresh mushrooms – sliced
25g Parmesan cheese – freshly grated
50g mascarpone cheese
Freshly chopped parsley – optional
Truffle oil - optional
Salt and black pepper

Method...
In a large pan heat the stock until it reaches simmering point.

Prepare the mushroom base. Melt 50g of butter in a frying pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Add the mushrooms and some salt and pepper. Heat slowly until the mushrooms are cooked.

Heat 50g butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan. Add the finely chopped onion and sweat until soft and translucent. Now add the black garlic.

Mix the black garlic into the onion mixture.

Now add the rice and stir until well coated. Pour in the glass of white wine. Allow it to reduce until there is no liquid in the pan. Stir continuously.

Add a ladleful of vegetable stock, stirring continuously. As soon as the liquid is absorbed add another ladleful of stock and continue this until the rice is cooked.

Stir continuously.

The rice should be slightly 'al dente' but soft and loose. When you are happy with the consistency, stir in the mushroom mixture and the pan juices.

Stir in the Parmesan cheese, 25g of butter and 30 – 50g of mascarpone cheese
Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

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