Photographs: Allium you want is cloves: Tucsonans at Mission Gardens Garlic Competition

About 1,300 individuals confirmed as much as the Garlic Competition at Mission Gardens on Tucson’s West Facet on Saturday morning to pay homage to the beloved bulb in all its many kinds. 

Competition-goers sampled garlic dishes from Chef Enrique Alcantar and a garlic ice cream from Tucson Chocolate. Distributors in attendance included Breckenfeld Household Growers, Dreamflower Backyard and Iskashitaa Refugee Community, all with some scrumptious allium-themed wares.

Garlic can certain draw a crowd, stated Mission Gardens gardener and grounds supervisor Jackson Veneklasen, who counted 500 individuals within the first half-hour of opening and a line out the door as early as 8 a.m.

Fifty limited-edition garlic bread loaves from James Beard Award-winning baker Don Guerra of Barrio Bread have been offered out inside minutes, Veneklasen stated.

Don and Christina Breckenfeld got here to the competition to promote native produce they’d grown at Breckenfeld Household Growers, a small city farm on the Southwest Facet of Tucson. By 10 a.m., the Breckenfelds had offered out of every thing however just a few tomatoes. 

“Individuals don’t consider in tomatoes like they consider in garlic,” stated Christina.