Rocambole garlic

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A couple of years ago when I was in San Francisco, I bought some beautiful violet-streaked Rocambole garlic from a stand at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. It was fabulous, with firm, small cloves and a subtle and complex garlic flavor. Why didn’t I buy more? When I ran out, I tracked down the growers, Wallace and Nancy Condon of Small Potatoes in Lodi. But the season for Rocambole was over and they didn’t have any more to sell. I never found it again.

Then, earlier this month I got an e-mail from the Condons saying they had Rocambole hanging in their barn and were taking orders by snail mail, e-mail or phone. Fantastic! I called right away and ordered 2 pounds for $20, including shipping, which got me the box pictured here. The other choice is 4 pounds for $35, if you want to share with friends.

Rocambole is a hard-necked garlic, and because it has such a thin, parchment-like bulb covering, it doesn’t keep as long as the more common soft-necked garlics. Stored in a cool, dark place, two months is about it, says Condon. In other words, you can’t save it up for a rainy day.

Somehow I see a summer’s worth of aioli in my future. If you miss the Rocambole, the Condons will have other types of garlic available soon, many, according to Condon, originally from the agriculture department collection at UC Davis.

Wallace and Nancy Condon, Small Potatoes, 4344 Morse Road, Lodi, CA 95240; (209) 333-6083; heirloompotatoes@yahoo.com. Payment by check or PayPal.

-- S. Irene Virbila