Every summer, the Gilroy Garlic Festival celebrates one of California’s most iconic ingredients while bringing together chefs, growers, and food lovers from across the region. This year, Executive Chef Diane Sturla of 36° North at San Juan Oaks was honored to take the stage as a featured demonstration chef, showcasing a dish inspired by the abundance of California’s late-summer harvest.
Her creation—Crispy Garlic Butter Prawns with Summer Succotash & Black Garlic Purée—celebrates garlic in three unique forms while highlighting fresh, locally grown produce. From sweet Christopher Ranch garlic to local corn, peaches, roasted peppers, and nopales, every ingredient was chosen to reflect the flavors of the season and the agricultural heritage of our region.
Celebrating Local Ingredients
At 36° North, seasonal cooking begins with exceptional ingredients. Chef Diane believes that the best dishes start with what’s growing nearby, allowing each ingredient to shine while supporting California’s farmers and producers. Featured farms include Swank Farms, Andy’s Orchard, Resendiz Brothers Farm, and more!
For her Gilroy Garlic Festival demonstration, she wanted to create a recipe that honored garlic’s incredible versatility. Rather than using it in just one way, the dish layers fresh Gilroy garlic, crispy garlic chips, and rich black garlic to create depth, texture, and balance.
The result is a vibrant late-summer entrée that’s equally elegant and approachable.
The Inspiration Behind the Dish
Garlic is often thought of as a supporting ingredient, but in this recipe it takes center stage.
Fresh Gilroy garlic perfumes a buttery sauce that coats perfectly seared prawns, crispy garlic chips provide texture and crunch, and black garlic adds a mellow sweetness that anchors the entire plate. Combined with a colorful succotash of sweet corn, peaches, roasted red peppers, and nopales, every bite reflects the diversity and freshness of California cuisine.
It’s a dish that celebrates the season while demonstrating how thoughtful preparation can transform familiar ingredients into something memorable.
Chef Diane Sturla’s Crispy Garlic Butter Prawns with Summer Succotash & Black Garlic Purée
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Black Garlic Purée
- 10–12 cloves black garlic
- ½ cup vegetable or chicken stock
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Kosher salt, to taste
Summer Succotash
- 4 ears fresh sweet corn, kernels removed
- 1 cup diced firm-ripe peaches
- 1 cup diced roasted red bell pepper
- 1 cup diced, cooked nopales
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 2 cloves Gilroy garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tbsp sliced chives
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crispy Garlic Butter Prawns
- 16 U10 prawns, peeled and deveined
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 cloves Gilroy garlic, finely minced
- 1 tsp Fresno chile, finely minced
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
Garnish
- Crispy garlic chips
- Chive blossoms or garlic chives (optional)
- Flaky sea salt
- Lemon wedges
Method
1. Prepare the Black Garlic Purée
Blend the black garlic, stock, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice until completely smooth. Season with kosher salt and keep warm over very low heat.
2. Prepare the Prawns
Toss the prawns with the baking soda and refrigerate for 15–20 minutes. Rinse quickly under cold water, pat dry, season with salt and pepper, then dust evenly with cornstarch, shaking off any excess.
3. Make the Summer Succotash
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook the shallot for 1 minute before adding the garlic for another 30 seconds. Stir in the corn and cook for 2–3 minutes, then add the roasted red pepper and nopales. Fold in the peaches during the final minute. Finish with butter, white balsamic vinegar, thyme, chives, salt, and pepper.
4. Cook the Prawns
Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sear the prawns for about 90 seconds per side until lightly crisp and just cooked through. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter, garlic, and Fresno chile. Swirl until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then finish with the lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley. Spoon the garlic butter over the prawns before removing from the pan.
5. Plate
Spread a generous spoonful of warm black garlic purée across each plate. Spoon the summer succotash onto one side and arrange four prawns over the top. Finish with crispy garlic chips, chive blossoms or garlic chives, flaky sea salt, and a lemon wedge.
From the Chef
“Garlic is showcased in three distinct expressions throughout this dish. Fresh Gilroy garlic perfumes the butter, crispy garlic chips add texture and aroma, and black garlic brings a rich, mellow sweetness that anchors the plate. Combined with California sweet corn, peaches, roasted peppers, and nopales, this dish celebrates the flavors of late summer while highlighting one of Gilroy’s most iconic ingredients.” — Executive Chef Diane Sturla
Experience Chef Diane’s Seasonal Cuisine
While this recipe was created especially for the Gilroy Garlic Festival, Chef Diane’s passion for seasonal, locally inspired cooking can be experienced year-round at 36° North at San Juan Oaks. Our menus evolve with the seasons, celebrating the incredible ingredients grown throughout California while creating memorable dining experiences for every guest.
We invite you to visit 36° North and discover what’s in season next.
