The year of the garlic scape
We joked on Twitter last night that it's become The Year of the Garlic Scape.
Vaguely aware of garlic scapes before this year, we seem to be seeing them everywhere this summer -- their green tentacles reaching out of CSA boxes, spilling from baskets at local farmers' markets, haunting our dreams. Maybe it's like when you take note of something random and then start seeing it everywhere.
So, what's a garlic scape? It's the green part of the garlic plant that grows above ground (or, uh, you know, when you leave the cloves too long on the counter top).
Aaron, Stephanie and Christine all recommended making pesto last night from the scape abundance. (There was also a rather fussy conversation about whether that's actually pesto.)
Christine even has a garlic scape pesto recipe posted over at the From Scratch Club -- in fact, there's seems to be a whole garlic scape week going on over there. (What, you're not reading FSC? You should!) Leah's used scapes with eggs. And over at Serious Eats: 7 Things To Do with Garlic Scapes and Garlic Scape Tart.
photo: Flickr user krossbow
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Comments
There's a small farm on Carrolls Grove Road in Brunswick that's been selling garlic scapes out of a roadside stand for over a decade. They also have some delicious flavorful garlic once it's in season. Look for the signs at the Tamarac Road and Route 7 ends of Carrolls Grove.
... said tomato(e) on Jul 14, 2011 at 11:11 AM | link
We got them in a farm share years ago and found a recipe from the mennonite cookbooks they sell at 10,000 Villages for scape hummus. Incredible!!!
... said m on Jul 14, 2011 at 11:19 AM | link
Hate to say it, but the local media seems to have a scape story that always hits a few weeks too late for the freshest scapes. That said, they seem to keep forever.
I'm harvesting my garlic next week and the scapes have been off for many weeks now.
Been eating a ton of of the things. Every meal and I always have some left over. Hit me up next year.
... said Paul C. on Jul 14, 2011 at 11:19 AM | link
Over the weekend I chopped some up, sauted them, and braised them with with the Swiss Chard instead of using garlic. Delicious...
... said Rob on Jul 14, 2011 at 11:57 AM | link
Seriously. I made garlic scape pesto a couple weeks ago cause We are Jeneric had way too many of them. They are really garlic-y. It didn't come out so well but that reflects more on my pesto making skills than it does on the garlic scapes.
... said Alex on Jul 14, 2011 at 12:37 PM | link
We love scapes here in Niskayuna. We've been eating them for years. They are especially delicious minced in salads of all types--chicken, egg, tuna, couscous, potato--you name it! Also great in soups and sauces...
... said Jennifer on Jul 14, 2011 at 12:59 PM | link
I swapped my elderberry jam for garlic scape pesto at the From Scratch Club swap last month and it was awesome. I tried to swap for the scapes themselves but they were in hot demand!
... said Heather on Jul 14, 2011 at 1:43 PM | link
Pickle 'em!
... said jess on Jul 14, 2011 at 3:29 PM | link
For the pesto, I recommend using basil as well... a straight-up scape pesto can have a bit of a KICK to it!
... said Christine on Jul 14, 2011 at 11:21 PM | link
Love love the scapes... but have also been eatting them for years! Although I will say the vast majority I talk about them to have no clue. So good going with a bit of scape press ;)
... said Missy on Jul 15, 2011 at 12:08 PM | link
@Christine - Oh my. I can barely imagine what a "pesto" made entirely of scapes might taste like. Wait, that's not true. It would be like aglio e olio, but green and raw. Actually hot pasta has a way of cooking and mellowing the scape a bit.
When I made scape "pesto" I simply replaced the garlic in my pesto recipe with the scapes. Well, that and I used walnuts instead of pine nuts since I was already bastardizing the sauce. But you could also supplement parsley for some of the basil, if you've got that around.
I would strongly advise against the use of raw spinach though.
... said Daniel B. on Jul 15, 2011 at 2:37 PM | link
I've never had much luck in my garden with garlic so no scapes. However, this year some of my onions are growing scapes. And they are delicious in mac/potato/tuna salads as well as scrambled eggs and omelets. :D
... said katie mae on Jul 16, 2011 at 12:40 PM | link
Side note: Scapes freeze very well, unblanched, in your average gallon sized freezer bag. They will keep beautifully in your deep freeze for-damn-near-ever.
... said Leah the Nosher on Jul 18, 2011 at 1:33 PM | link