It warms my heart around this time each year when my old garlic scape recipes suddenly see a spike in traffic — because it means people are hitting the farmers markets and trying something new. Garlic scapes, or curls, as our CSA farm calls them, are one of those things you won’t find in the grocery store.
The early shoots of the garlic plant, they pack a potent punch and crisp bite. I like to thinly slice them and toss ’em in salads or scrambled eggs. Garlic scape pesto is a classic and easy way to jazz up pasta or chicken salad. My garlic scape chimichurri makes a great topping for grilled bison steaks. You can throw the whole scape on the grill, too. I’ve even quickly blanched them, cut into 1-inch pieces, and frozen them for stir-fry use later in the year. And I keep meaning to make garlic scape vinegar (perfect for salad dressings) — maybe this year I’ll finally get to it.
How do you like your scapes? Do you grow your own garlic?
I made a quick stop at the Falls Church Farmers Market this past weekend for Memorial Day grilling supplies, where I spotted the scapes pictured above. There were a couple other new arrivals at market this week, including kohlrabi nearly as large as bowling balls, broccoli and sugar snap peas a plenty. Coming soon: English peas and sour cherries.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Bianca
Twitter: WholesomeInCity
// May 30, 2012 at 10:30 am
I LOVE garlic scapes and just replace my usual garlic with them — and I use quite a bit of garlic 🙂
I also find that my son tends to prefer scapes to garlic in stir-frys. Isn’t the market just a treasure of sensory delights this time of year? I adore it!!!
2 Minnie(@thelady8home) // Jun 2, 2012 at 6:18 pm
I love, love garlic scapes. It’s interesting you posted about them, there is not much about them out on the net. One my earliest recipes in my blog – which is about a month ancient – is a chicken dish with garlic scapes: http://www.thelady8home.com/2012/05/07/chicken-in-delicate-spices-with-green-garlic-scapes-hare-lehsun-ka-murg/
I haven’t seen them here yet, but I haven’t had the chance to visit the local farmer’s market.
3 Tara @ Unsophisticook
Twitter: unsophisticook
// Jun 12, 2012 at 12:05 am
Thanks so much for sharing my garlic scape pesto recipe! We get our first CSA share of the year this Thursday and I’ve got my fingers crossed that a big batch of scapes will be included.
We love them tossed with kosher salt and cracked black pepper, plus a drizzle of olive oil and then grilled as well. I’m drooling just a bit now!
4 Jackie // Jan 16, 2013 at 5:27 pm
I love to try scapes from different varities of garlics. Scapes only grow from hardneck garlic, and these vary in type and flavor, from mild to very hot’n spicy. I order them online (they ship very well) from farmers across the country so I can enjoy them for 3 to 4 months out of the year. Otherwise, they are only avail for 2 weeks at the local farmers market. Theyripen first in California, then Washington, the Mid-West and finally the East coast.