Get this garlic while it’s green

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Rose Schaner’s family farm sells green garlic this time of year at the Santa Monica Farmers Market. The green garlic is pulled from the ground in early spring before the plants grow into bulbs containing those ever-recognizable cloves. (Photo by Joseph Stone/KCRW) (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
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Gavin Humes, executive chef at Cliff’s Edge in Silverlake, gets as much green garlic as he can into the menu during the plant’s short season. He makes a green garlic jus out of the roots and chargrills the stems for his pork tenderloin dish. None of it is wasted. (Photo by Joseph Stone/KCRW) (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
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Try making Humes’s pork tenderloin, grilled green garlic, green garlic jus and asparagus dish using the recipe below. Let us know how it turns out! (Photo courtesy of Cliff’s Edge) (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

Chef Gavin Humes’s Pork Tenderloin with grilled green garlic, green garlic jus and asparagus

Humes says the key is to cook your pork tenderloin medium rare to avoid overcooking it.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

4 pieces (6.5 oz each) pork tenderloin
16 stalks green garlic, cleaned (roots reserved)
½ cup Mushroom Soubise (recipe follows)
½ cup Green Garlic Jus (recipe follows)
12 stalks green asparagus
12 stalks white asparagus
Olive oil
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Instructions

Prepare the pork: Clean the pork tenderloin of any and all silver skin. Season well with salt and pepper, then sear in a pan until medium rare. You can also grill the pork tenderloin to medium rare, if you prefer. Once done, allow it to rest as you assemble the rest of the dish.

Prepare the vegetables: Toss the asparagus and green garlic with olive oil and salt. Transfer the stalks to a grill pan (or your grill) until the stalks develop nice grill marks and are just cooked through. They should still have some crunch to them.

Meanwhile, heat the Mushroom Soubise and Green Garlic Jus until hot.

To serve: Place a spoonful of Mushroom Soubise on the bottom of a plate. Top the soubise with the asparagus, alternating between the green and white stalks.

Slice your pork tenderloin and arrange over the asparagus. Next, assemble the grilled green garlic. Spoon the Green Garlic Jus around the pork tenderloin and enjoy!


Green Garlic Jus

Yield: Makes about 2½ cups of jus.

Ingredients
3 cups green garlic roots
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup shallots, diced
2 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Instructions

To clean: Begin by rinsing the green garlic under cold water to remove any dirt and wilted leaves. Trim the root ends and place them in a stock pot of water. Simmer for about 1 to 2 hours and strain, reserving the liquid. This will be your Green Garlic Stock.*

For the jus: In a saucepan, sweat the shallots in a bit of olive oil for about 1 to 2 minutes until just translucent. Add the white wine and simmer until the wine has almost entirely evaporated.

Add 2 cups of your Green Garlic Stock to the pan and simmer, reducing it to about half the original volume. Then, add 1 cup of chicken stock to your pan and reduce again by half. By now, your stock should have a glossy sheen but still be easy to pour. Season your Green Garlic Jus with salt, pepper and whole grain mustard, to taste.

*Note: You can use your Green Garlic Stock for anything from risottos to soups, sauces and salad dressings.


Mushroom Soubise

Humes prefers using maitake mushrooms for his soubise but you can use any flavorful mushrooms: cremini, chanterelles, etc. When adding the sherry vinegar, start with no more than 1 tablespoon, as the amount will vary depending on the acidity of your wine. Taste as you go and adjust accordingly.

Ingredients
2 cups maitake mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
½ cup shallots, diced
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
Sherry vinegar, to taste
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Instructions

For the mushrooms: In a large saucepan, sweat your shallots in a little butter until translucent and aromatic. Next, add the chopped mushrooms and stir to cook evenly with the shallots. Add a healthy pinch of salt and agitate the pan slightly. This will help speed up the process of drawing the moisture out from the mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms on medium heat until all the liquid has evaporated, and the mushrooms start to color.

Add the white wine to the pan and reduce until fully evaporated. Then, add the chicken stock and simmer to reduce by half. Next, add the heavy cream and simmer to reduce by one-third, or until the cream begins to thicken slightly. It should have a sauce-like consistency.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and purée until smooth. Season with sherry vinegar, salt and pepper, to taste.

Optional: You can serve your Mushroom Soubise just as is, or pass it through a fine mesh strainer to achieve a silky, smooth texture.