Garlic Scapes... What do you do with them?

Long and ungainly, scapes are an unusual crop in the garden. However, they are very useful, so don't throw them out!

Here are 10 things that you can do with them.

1. Garlic Scape Pesto

Scape pesto is a wonderful way to use us surplus scapes. This pesto can be used a salad dressing, dip, marinade for meat, or eaten on its own. Try it in a potato salad for a unique twist.

Ingredients

• 10 to 12 garlic scapes approximately 2 feet tall
• 3/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese grated*
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/16 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Remove the head from the scapes, then chop the stems into 1 to 2" pieces.
2. Place in a food processor along with the nuts and the parmesan cheese.
3. Grind until the mixture is coarsely chopped but the pieces are fairly equal in size.
4. With the motor still running, slowly drizzle the oil in through the feed tube until all the oil has been incorporated.
5. Continue grinding until your desired texture is reached. I prefer the pesto fairly smooth and just a bit grainy, while others prefer it much more coarse.
6. Serve immediately or place in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
7.  
8. From Traditional Cooking School.

2. Eat raw

For the brave of heart, eat it raw! Scapes taste like garlic. Add it to salads or munch on some as a snack.

3. Scape Powder

Run the scapes through a food processor to coarsely chop it. Dry it in a dehydrator until there is no water in it. Grind the scapes in a blender until it is a fine powder. Use this powder in seasoning mixes, marinades, and dressings. Store in a cool place away from direct sunlight to preserve the nutritional value in the scapes.

4. Bread them

Roll the scapes through an egg/flour mixture. Use a similar mixture that you would use for squash flowers. Either fry them in oil, or if you want a healthier alternative, bake them in the oven. Scapes are delicious when roasted or baked!

5. Saute

Saute scapes with your next stir fry. Add some butter, chopped scapes, bell peppers, diced onion, and zucchini to a saucepan. Season with sesame seeds, a pinch of salt, black pepper, and soy sauce. Fry until all the vegetables are tender. This is delicious on a bed of basmanti rice.

6. Grill

Grill entire scapes during your next barbecue. Just lightly grill each side; you don't want to get charcoal!

7. Ferment (or pickle) them

Add a tang to the garlic scapes by fermenting them. Add scapes to a jar and fill it to the neck. If you wish, you can also add some peppercorns and mustard seeds. Top the jar with salt water (4 cups water & 3 TSP salt) and leave on the counter to ferment for a few days. 'Burp' the jars daily by opening and closing the lid. Do this over a sink in case the liquid bubbles over. Keep the lid loose so that the jar can breathe.

8. Toss in Soups/Stews

When cooking a soup or stew saute some onions and garlic scapes first. This adds great flavor and spice to your dish.

9. Make Garlic Butter

Remember the scape powder from earlier? You can use scape powder or minced scapes to make garlic scape butter. Add to softened butter with some salt. Sprinkle in some garlic powder for added garlic flavor. Use in garlic bread or baked potatoes. Yum!

10. Add in a salad dressing

Make a green salad dressing by blending some scapes, salt, black pepper, ricotta cheese, sunflower cheese, oil, and milk. Blend to your desired thickness and use it as a rich topping for your salad. You can also use this (or the scape pesto) as a dressing for a potato salad.

Enjoy these tips and tricks which will hopefully spark your imagination of what dishes to use garlic scapes in! Enjoy them while they're here!