Garlic Scape |
Garlic growers usually remove the garlic flower bud, the scape, before it opens. This forces plant growth back into bulb production rather than into flower production. And since we grow garlic for the blub, not the flower, I snap the scapes off my garlic too by just snapping the scape off the plant, usually just below the curlicue.
Harvested Garlic Scapes |
But whether we have a little or a lot of scapes, we need to do something with them. My favorite thing to do is to turn them into pesto. If I had more scapes this year I would also have pickled some and used them fresh in cooking.
A traditional pesto recipe is:
2 cups basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
For a garlic scape pesto there are a variety of recipes. Some using basil and some not. The most basic garlic scape pesto recipe uses scapes in place of garlic cloves, from 1/2 cup to 1 cup of chopped scapes in place of the garlic cloves. Scapes taste like garlic; surprise, surprise I know.
But since I rarely follow a traditional recipes (and I never ever have pine nuts in my pantry), my scape and basil pesto recipe is:
1 - 2 cups chopped garlic scapes (20 - 30 scapes)
2 cups basil leaves (about two large fistfuls of fresh leaves)
1/2 - 1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
This recipe has a lot of bite to it. I think the vinegar balances nicely with the spiciness.
To start, put whole (washed and dried) scapes into a food processer to chop coarsely.
Chopped Scapes |
Adding the basil to the chopped scapes |
You may need to add the basil in small amounts. This is especially true with my rather small food processer. After a few additions of the basil, the green mixture no longer pulses well. This is when I start adding the olive oil. Drizzle some of the olive oil in along with each addition of basil and pulse a few times. Once all the olive oil and basil is added, run the food processer until the mixture has the consistency of a thin paste. You don't want to be able to see chunks of scape or basil.
Next I add in all the grated cheese, balsamic vinegar, and salt.
Note, depending upon your taste you may want to add the vinegar in a little at a time to suit your own taste or skip it all together for a more traditional pesto. I often add more than the 1/4 cup.
Another note, I grate my own cheese with a micro planer for pesto. It is so much better tasting than the pre-grated stuff in the green can if you know what I mean. And since pesto is not cooked, the flavor of each ingredient is very important.
Pulse the pesto until thoroughly mix. Then taste test. If the pesto is too spicy or sour for your liking, add more cheese. Remember the Pecorino Romano is very salty.
Ready to Use |
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I saw these at the farmer's market and wasn't sure what one would do with them. Thanks for the info.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome Kara. The first time I saw them in a farmer's market I just sort of stood there, a little uncertain if I even wanted to ask what they were. But I am glad I did. Scapes are really yummy... if you like garlic that is.
ReplyDeleteYUM!!! We love pesto over here so this is perfect.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing at Our Real Food linky. Have a wonderful week!
I really enjoyed reading your blog, it was very informative on garlic. And your pesto recipe sounds great.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing with the Clever Chicks Blog Hop this week; I hope you’ll join us again!
Cheers,
Kathy Shea Mormino
The Chicken Chick
http://www.The-Chicken-Chick.com
This recipe sounds GREAT! I grow both garlic and basil, but don't use the scapes very often. That's about to change! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing at Tuesdays with a Twist!
I am so delighted that you shared this recipe - it sounds marvelous! Sorry to be so late visiting - you just never know what will happen in a day! I am so delighted that you shared with Home and Garden Thursday,
ReplyDeleteKathy
So glad you stopped by Kathy (and by the way your blog is so beautiful)! This recipe is really yummy. I hope you get a chance to try it.
ReplyDeleteYour blog really very fantastic and all the information are very awesome and great it's really interesting all the topic about the work motivation.
ReplyDeletehow to make pesto
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ReplyDeleteعملائنا الكرام نحن نعرف نطاق خوفك وحرصك المتنامي في اختيار أفضل مؤسسات نقل العفش وتكون هي مؤكدة وموثوقة في التداول معها، فلا تقلق نحن وفرنا جميع الخدمات المتوفرة في شركتنا مؤسسة نقل أثاث بابها هي تقدم جميع الخدمات بلا رهاب أو إرتباك.
ReplyDeleteشركة نقل عفش
شركة نقل عفش من الرياض الى الدمام
شركة نقل اثاث من الرياض الى الدمام
شركة نقل عفش بجدة