Great Scapes

One huge dollar bag of garlic scapes from the farmers' market has been shared all around the neighborhood. The scapes keep well in the frig and are a very versatile menu item.




Various neighbors have used them chopped in a salad, cooked with beet greens, and grilled to a slight char. NDL happened to be in the right place at the right time to taste a couple of those preparations and has declared them delicious!

Whoever has a stash remaining needs to try the Garlic Scape Pesto recipe from Kim O'Donnel's blog, A Mighty Appetite, at the Washington Post, and report on the results.

Garlic Scape Pesto

Ingredients:
1 cup garlic scapes (about 8 or 9 scapes), top flowery part removed, cut into ¼-inch slices
1/3 cup walnuts
¾ cup olive oil
¼-1/2 cup grated parmigiano
½ teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste

Method:
Place scapes and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and whiz until well combined and somewhat smooth. Slowly drizzle in oil and process until integrated. With a rubber spatula, scoop pesto out of bowl and into a mixing bowl. Add parmigiano to taste; add salt and pepper. Makes about 6 ounces of pesto. Keeps for up to one week in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

For ½ pound short pasta such as penne, add about 2 tablespoons of pesto to cooked pasta and stir until pasta is well coated.


What's not to like?