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76 Simsbury Rd
West Granby,
Connecticut, 06090
(860) 653-0291
www.garlicfarmct.com
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Garlic scape recipes

When the garlic scapes are still in full curl, they are tender and succulent. They have a garlicky taste that is milder than the garlic cloves with the tender snap of just-picked asparagus. Garlic scapes have a broad spectrum of uses from soup to salads to garnishes.

The garlic scape is an allium delicacy that is highly prized and traditionally used in
Southern and Eastern European, Middle Eastern, Korean, and other Asian cuisine because of its subtle garlic flavor and tender-crisp texture.

Find links to more ideas on our scapes links page. Let us know at the newsletter about your favorite scape concoction or discovery.

Have fun!

Scape recipes

Grill, stir fry, raw on salads, garlic scape hummus, scape pesto (with or without other herbs), scape tempura, scape soup, served as a companion or a main dish.

Garlic Scape Pesto

1 cup (or less) freshly grated Parmesan or other sharp Italian cheese
1 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice, to taste
1/4 pound roughly chopped scapes
1/2 cup olive oil
salt to taste

Puree scapes, olive oil, and juice in a blender or food processor until nearly smooth. (You can make a smooth paste, but most people like a little textture in the pesto.) Stir in or gently pulse the cheese and then adjust juice and salt to taste.

Serve the garlic scape pesto on crackers, on sliced mushrooms as an hors d'oeuvre, in celery sticks, mixed in with mashed potatoes, as a vegetable dip, smeared on a sandwich as a condiment, under the cheese on a pizza, between layers of lasagne, mixed in with breadcrumbs or rice and sausage for stuffing a pepper or tomato or big portobello mushroom, as a garnish dolloped onto a bowl of soup, scrambled with the morning eggs...in short, nearly any way you can imagine. Apart from dessert.

Scape pesto freezes well, and it holds its appealing green color even better than the traditional basil pesto.

Variations: Include walnuts, pecans, pistachios, almonds, cashews or other nuts and/or basil or parsley to the scapes in the blending step. (Many recipes recommend using pine nuts, as is traditional in basil-based pesto Genovese, but most pine nuts are now imported from China, unless they are very expensive, and so we tend to use pecans from the American southeast or walnuts and almonds from California if no local nuts are available.) Adjusting the ratio of scapes to cheese, nuts, juice, and salt changes the balance of garlicky flavor and heat. Use the balance that pleases the palates of your family members or guests, or that suits your mood of the moment. Try different cheeses for different flavors: Parmesan, pecorino romano, asiago, for example; be sure to sample before salting, as some cheeses have more salt than others.

Garlic Scape Hummus

2 cans of chick peas (garbanzos) drained
1 cup sesame seeds or tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh chopped garlic scapes

Place the ingredients in a blender on high until a thick paste forms. Salt to taste.

Variation: Add your favorite curry, to taste.

Storage

Garlic scapes store well in cold storage, though freshly cut scapes taste the best. You can keep scapes in the refrigerator for a month or more, in a paper bag to avoid turning them into a slimy science project.

They freeze well, too--blanched or not--but they tend to lose some of the garlicky heat during long storage below freezing. Even if they lose some flavor, scapes from the freezer add a great texture and color to dishes long after scape season has passed. If you want to keep scapes flavorful for many moons, make up some scape pesto for the freezer.

Some people pickle garlic scapes, too, and you'll find recipes on the web. We haven't tried that ourselves, but we welcome heraring about your results if you try that method of preserving scapes past their brief season in June.

More Scape Preparation, Advice & Serving Suggestions

We advise removing the stalk tip above the pod before using the scapes. Some people use the whole scape, but the pod and tip are much more fibrous than the tender stalk.

Scapes tend to get tough and/or lose flavor if overcooked, so start simple.
To learn how much cooking is enough and how much is too much, perform a test: cut scapes to desired lengths and sauté in a little olive oil over medium heat, adding salt and pepper to taste. Do a taste test after just a few minutes; serve when the scapes are warmed through and still tender. The end result a side dish that is elegant and tasty, and a rule of thumb for how much time the scapes need in the pan.

Try some of these other ideas:

Use garlic scapes any way you would use asparagus.

Cut scapes into 2-inch lengths and sauté in olive oil or butter over medium
heat, adding salt andpepper to taste.

Add scapes to your favorite stir-fry dishes.

Chop the garlic scapes into little disks as you would scallions and add them raw to salads.

Add to pickled beets or cucumbers.

Steam and dress with a bit of lemon juice.

Use as a garnish.

Garlic scape pesto (see recipe above).

Slice into short rounds and sprinkle over any pasta.

Slice and add to most any sauce.

Chop and add to guacamole or fresh salsa.

Chop and mix with softened cream cheese or butter for a savory spread for
sandwiches or bagels.

Use chopped fresh scapes as a garnish for tomato or potato soup.

Add chopped scapes to vegetable soups and stews toward the end of cooking time.

Use in recipes as a substitute for green onions.

Add to toppings for bruschetta or pizza.

Place in lightly oiled pan and add salt to taste. Cover and roast for 30 to
45 minutes until beginning to turn brown. Serve as a side dish.

Add to egg dishes or mashed potatoes.

Updated May 2, 2012