I’m not alone in my admiration for strawberries. In ancient Rome, the strawberry symbolized Venus, the Goddess of Love, because of its heart shape and color. In medieval times, stone masons carved strawberries on altars and churches because they symbolized perfection and righteousness. Much more recently—last month, in fact—strawberries have become my ticket to sanity, a means of dealing with the stress of the ongoing pandemic.
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Allium sativum, or garlic, is my spirit vegetable. It’s my way of expressing massive appreciation for this plant, which I have used as a medicine, an herbal flavoring, a culinary staple, and a standalone treat. Its fans are legion, gathering at events like the Gilroy Garlic Festival in California, the state that grows the vast majority of the country’s garlic (most of which is then dehydrated into powder for processed food), and the North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival in central Massachusetts, where heirloom varieties from small farms reign supreme.
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