Garlic Scapes are the flower buds and stalks of garlic plants. In the spring, farmers remove them in order to send more of the plant’s energy into the bulb and get a larger garlic harvest in late summer. They have a wonderful garlicky flavor, a little lighter and fresher than a clove.
Storage: Scapes keep well in the fridge for a month or more, in a paper bag. They freeze well, too (blanched or raw), though they will lose some of their sharp flavor after a long period in the freezer.
Uses: Scapes are great in any recipes that calls for garlic. But they can also do some things that garlic can’t. They are even delicious raw: minced into salads, pounded into a paste for a creamy dressing, or finely chopped in place of an herb on top of pasta or soups. Take a look below for more ideas:
Refrigerator Garlic Scape Pickles
Refrigerator pickles means there is no canning. The jar will last in the fridge for up to 6 months.
Ingredients:
- About 15 garlic scapes
- 1 dried chile (optional)
- 1 cup cider vinegar
- 4 tsp. kosher salt
- 4 tsp. sugar
Directions:
- Trim garlic scapes, curl them up, and place in a pint jar with a tight fitting lid.
- Add the chile, if you’re using it, into the jar with the scapes.
- In a small saucepan, heat the vinegar, salt, and sugar with 1 cup of water until simmering and salt and sugar are dissolved.
- Pour warm vinegar mixture over the garlic scapes to cover them (you may not use all of the vinegar mixture). Close the jar. Let sit until cool, then store in the refrigerator. Scapes should be ready to eat in one month.
Garlic Scape Pesto
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (or less) Parmesan or other sharp cheese
- 1 tablespoons lime or lemon juice, to taste
- 1/4 lb roughly chopped scapes
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- salt to taste
- consider also adding nuts, herbs, or leafy greens (optional)
Directions:
- Puree scapes, oil, and juice in a blender or food processor until nearly smooth. (You can make a smooth paste, but most people like a little texture in the pesto.)
- Stir in the cheese and then adjust juice and salt to taste.
- Serve the garlic scape pesto on crackers or veggie 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 lasagna, mixed in with breadcrumbs or rice and sausage for stuffing a pepper, tomato or big portobello mushroom, as a garnish dolloped onto a bowl of soup, scrambled with the morning eggs… the list goes on.
- Scape pesto freezes well and holds its bright green color even better than the traditional basil pesto!
Garlic Scape Hummus
Ingredients:
- 2 cans of chick peas (garbanzos) drained
- 1 cup sesame seeds or tahini
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup chopped garlic scapes
Directions: Place the ingredients in a blender on high until a thick paste forms. Salt to taste.
Savory Garlic Scape and Cheese Scones
Ingredients:
- 2½ to 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened in the microwave 15-30 seconds (you want it very soft)
- 5 garlic scapes, chopped
- 1 cup milk or half and half
- 1 egg
Directions:
- Heat the oven to 400°.
- Combine 2½ cups of the flour, the baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the cheeses and toss gently with a fork until combined.
- Add the scapes and toss gently with a fork until combined.
- Beat the milk (or half and half) with the egg and gently fold into the dry ingredients, mixing lightly until a soft dough forms. Add up to 1/2 cup additional flour if the dough is too sticky.
- On a floured surface, gently pat the dough into a circle approximately 1-inch thick (or into two smaller circles for 12 scones). The key to tender scones is to handle the dough as little as possible and with a light touch.
- With a sharp knife (try a serrated knife dipped in flour), cut the circle(s) into 8 or 12 wedges and place them on a heavy duty baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm, or cool completely and refrigerate or freeze in a heavy zipper bag or airtight container. Makes 8 large scones or 12 small ones.
Adapted from farmgirlfare.com
Garlic Scape Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 lb of garlic scapes, minced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 quarts broth (chicken or veggie)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: other veggies and herbs
Directions:
- Melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat. Add the minced scapes and saute for about 5 minutes to soften. Add potatoes, season with salt and pepper, then add broth. Bring to a simmer, cover and adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender enough to mash with a wooden spoon, about 25-35 minutes.
- Mash the potatoes into the broth, or puree in a food processor, then reheat. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
- Consider adding other veggies and herbs. Dark leafy greens or your favorite root crops will fit right in!
Garlic Scape Harissa
This spicy north African condiment will last refrigerated for about 1 month.
Ingredients:
- 4 garlic scapes
- 4 dried chiles (or another type of mild chile)
- 1 dried cayenne chile
- 3 sun-dried tomatoes (not the kind in oil)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground caraway
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
- About 3 tablespoons of oil
Directions:
- Soak the chiles and tomatoes in warm water for a few minutes to soften. When soft, squeeze out excess water.
- Put everything except the oil in a food processor or blender.
- Drizzle the oil in, or add 1/2 tablespoon at a time, until you get a spreadable paste like consistency. Transfer to a jar, seal and put in fridge.
- Smear Harissa atop hard-boiled eggs, stir it into chickpeas with herbs and lemon, add it to rice, or mix with plain yogurt and greens and stuff into a pita.
Adapted from hungrytigress.com
