Easton Garlic Fest Draws Farmers, Chefs

Seven years ago, Francis Harper was a cabinet-maker in upstate New York. His wife Karen was a waitress.

Now, they grow garlic. 

For the last three years, they've made the six-hour drive from the town on Albion to Easton to sell their products at Easton's Garlic Fest.

A lot of their fellow farmers seemed to have traveled south.

"Maybe it's the climate," Francis Harper speculated. "Garlic likes cold weather."

And if you liked garlic -- or at least things flavored with it -- this was a good place to be. 

Ray Simon, of Awesome Speciality Foods of Poughkeepsie, NY was serving three types of pasta flavored with garlic. Easton's  Khfarsghab Club served what seemed like a neverending supply of chicken and garlic wraps. And you could sample it raw, at a table set up by the festival.

You could also find out what garlic for dessert tastes like, at the Dangerous Desserts stand. Sweet Girlz Bakery, for example, was serving garlic cupcakes topped with chocolate and vanilla icing. Pearly Baker's had garlic peanut butter cookies, and the Carmelcorn Shop had garlic sugar popcorn.

The Sycarmore Grille from Delaware Water Gap came with garlic cotton candy.

Mother and daughter Beth and Natalie Falcone of Catasauqua lined up to try it. Natalie approved.

"You wouldn't think you could taste the garlic," she said, "but you do."

Have photos to share from the event? Post them here. And tell us what you liked -- or didn't -- about this year's Garlic Fest in the comments.