Garlic Scapes

Recent seasons of greenmarket shopping and CSA membership have opened my eyes to the many garlic bulb byproducts that exist.

Green garlic is young/immature/adolescent garlic that hasn't yet formed a bulb (where the cloves come from). I dabbled in green garlic just once this spring, when I made what seemed like a vat of green garlic aioli that went beautifully with steamed artichokes and BLT sandwiches.

Garlic scapes, seen in the photo above, are the stems that shoot out of the garlic bulb and become flowers, if left alone. The scapes are amputated from the bulbs in early summer, allowing a garlic plant to devote more of its energy to growing a larger bulb. Both green garlic and garlic scapes have a milder garlic flavor than a regular old clove, so that tasty but repellent aroma will not haunt your mouth, even if you eat them raw.

A popular way to eat your scapes is in pesto form. The food bloggers are all over it. I included some CSA Genovese basil in my pesto, and tossed it with some fettucine and shaved raw zucchini. Garlic scapes can also be used in stir-fries, chopped up in salads, and added to scrambled eggs. They keep for a while (I'm talking months), so you'll have some time to decide.


Garlic Scape and Basil Pesto

5 garlic scapes
1 bunch Genovese basil
1 Tbsp toasted pine nuts
1 Tbsp grated Parmigiano cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Finely chop scapes, basil, and pine nuts in a food processor. Add cheese, salt, and pepper. While food processor is running, slowly drizzle in olive oil.