As harvest is in full swing I love stopping by Farmer's Markets to pick out fresh ingredients to flavor my soups and dishes. Fall is the start of soup season in my household. On this particular day there were some fabulous heads of garlic that I was fixated on and found myself with this motivation to photograph its texture, the ribbed paper shell and faint lavendar color before preparing it for a comforting bowl of wild rice soup.
Photographing seemingly simple things is such a beautiful art form to me. I love styling and focusing my camera in places that can portray what I am working on. Garlic can be time consuming, my husband prefers buying the little jars of pre-minced goodness. I won't argue with that, he does quite a bit of cooking on the evenings when I am working late. Flavor is flavor.
Peeling through the papery skin and exposing the inside of the bulb is an act of unveiling. For each tiny mince chop there is an act of love and appreciation that this garlic has to offer, long before it is sauteed in a pan with an onion. In this small scene of cutting there is a beauty in the chaos.
I didn't chop up every clove. These tanned casings will sit on my counter as a bit of decoration until the next batch of soup is simmered on the stove. Until then, may you be inspired to begin your next home made meal with a simple, yet wholesome ingredient.