Garlic Scapes
Garlic Scapes are the immature flower stalks of the garlic plant.
- Scape Pesto
- Great use of garlic scapes in pesto, either straight-up or mixed with herbs like basil and dill.
- Scape pesto can be very pungent, but it mellows substantially after a few months in the freezer.
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 3/4 cup coarsely chopped garlic scapes or use half scapes and half herbs such as basil, dill and chervil
- Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
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Procedures
- Toast the pine nuts 2-3 minutes.
- Process in food processor the scapes, pine nuts, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Slowly pour in the olive oil while the motor is running.
- Stir in the grated cheese.
- If you plan to freeze the pesto, wait to add the cheese until after you've defrosted it.
- Grilled Scapes
- Throw them on the grill until the develop a very light char
- tossed with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper
- Grill over direct heat for about two minutes.
- Flip them once, halfway through, and finish with an extra sprinkle of salt and a bit of lemon juice.
- Their flavor will have sweetened and mellowed.
- Grilled scapes are surprisingly reminiscent of asparagus.
- Scape Hummus
- Scapes are a brilliant swap-in for garlic in your favorite homemade hummus.
- Try a lemony, tahini-free hummus, which really gives them a chance to shine.
- Edamame "hummus" with scapes works nicely too, and color coordination is tough to argue with.
- Scape Compound Butter
- Butter, lemon and fresh thyme for garlic bread.
- Tossed on the grill.
- Use as Garlic
- Slice scapes to whatever length you like and use them as you would garlic.
- Scapes lose a lot of their bite when sautéed, more so than garlic cloves, so use at least three or four times garlic scapes..
- Scapes as vegetable
- Cut into lengths and added to stir-fries or blanched and added to salads, much as you might use green beans.
- Scape Soup or sauces