What is It? Scapes!

You are in for a treat in your CSA haul this week: Scapes. If you've never tried them, start now.

Scapes are the flower stems that garlic plants produce before the bulbs mature. Growers often remove the scapes to push the plant’s energy toward bigger bulbs, and when harvested while they are young and tender, the scapes are delicious. Looking like a curly spring-onion, with a subtle garlic-y taste, scapes will soon be your new best friend. They can serve as vegetable, aromatic, and herb all in one yummy bite!

I first tried them simply -- grilled with a little olive oil -- and I was totally converted to a scape-maniac who looks forward to them every summer. But if you want to get creative, here are a few ideas:

dice them into scrambled eggs
blend them into hummus
slice them thin into a salad
sauté them
use a small bit in guacamole
turn into a compound-butter with lemon and thyme
use in a pesto (see recipe below!)

Recipe for Garlic Scape Pesto (courtesy of seriouseats.com)
- makes about 1 cup -

Ingredients
1/4 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped garlic scapes
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
A few generous grinds of black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Procedure
1. In a small, dry pan set over very low heat, lightly toast the pine nuts, stirring or tossing occasionally until just beginning to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.

2. Combine the scapes, pine nuts, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse about 20 times, until fairly well combined. Pour in the olive oil slowly through the feed tube while the motor is running. When the oil is incorporated, transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the grated cheese. If you plan to freeze the pesto, wait to add the cheese until after you've defrosted it.

This Weeks Shares

Full Shares
Scallions*Garlic Scapes*Edible Snap Peas*Grape Tomatoes*Farm pick lettuce*Red Boston Lettuce*Radishes*Dino Kale*Pickling Cukes*Napa Cabbage*Sage*Oregano*Thyme

Half Shares
Scallions*Edible Snap Peas*Farm pick lettuce*Parsley*Red Kale*Pickling Cukes*Baby Bok Choi*Sage*Oregano*Thyme

Garlic Scapes
Scapes are the wild and curly shoots that spring from the tops of garlic plants. They're brilliantly green, can be thick or thin, curved or corkscrewed, and, depending on how they're cut, just long or very long. They've got a mild garlic fragrance and a mellow garlic flavor. Smell the cut end or snap one and the scent will be a cross between garlic and summer grass. It's got a freshness that garlic loses as it develops.
The scapes, which look as beautiful in the garden as they do at the market, are meant to be cut -- cutting them strengthens the garlic bulbs that are growing underground -- so it's a win-win for the garlic and us, the cooks. Although scapes needn't be cooked. In fact, if you do cook them, you should cook them lightly, maybe in a quick stir-fry.
You will get the most from garlic scapes by using them raw. They're terrific chopped or very thinly sliced added to a tuna or chicken salad, stirred into hot rice or scattered over a salad, the way you might scatter sliced scallions or an herb.

GARLIC SCAPE AND ALMOND PESTO
Makes about 1 cup
10 garlic scapes, finely chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan (to taste and texture)
1/3 cup slivered almonds (you could toast them lightly, if you'd like)
About 1/2 cup olive oil
Sea salt
Put the scapes, 1/3 cup of the cheese, almonds and half the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor (or use a blender or a mortar and pestle). Whir to chop and blend all the ingredients and then add the remainder of the oil and, if you want, more cheese. If you like the texture, stop; if you'd like it a little thinner, add some more oil. Season with salt.
If you're not going to use the pesto immediately, press a piece of plastic against the surface to keep it from oxidizing. The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days or packed airtight and frozen for a couple of months, by which time tomatoes should be at their juciest.

White Bean and Garlic Scapes Dip
1/3 cup sliced garlic scapes (3 to 4)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, more to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling.
1. In a food processor, process garlic scapes with lemon juice, salt and pepper until finely chopped. Add cannellini beans and process to a rough purée.
2. With motor running, slowly drizzle olive oil through feed tube and process until fairly smooth. Pulse in 2 or 3 tablespoons water, or more, until mixture is the consistency of a dip. Add more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice, if desired.
3. Spread out dip on a plate, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with more salt.
Yield: 1 1/2 cups.

Mashed Potatoes with Garlic Scapes
2 1/2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces. 2 Tablespoons butter (can omit this if on a restricted fat diet/lifestyle)1-2 Tbsp, olive oil 1/4 cup finely chopped scapes1/4 cup hot milk (or more)
Cook potatoes until very tender. Drain and return to pot. Over medium high heat, melt butter with olive oil in a small skillet. Add scapes and saute about 5 minutes. Add to potatoes and mash. Gradually add milk while stirring. Season with salt and pepper.
Chicken With Garlic Scapes & Capers
2 whole skinless boneless chicken breasts, halved 2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 4 Tbsp. dry white wine 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 4 chopped garlic scapes 1 Tbsp. drained capers
Between sheets of plastic wrap slightly flatten chicken. In a large heavy skillet heat 1Tbsp. of butter and the oil over medium high heat. Saute until cooked through. Season with salt & pepper. Transfer chicken to a platter and keep warm. Pour off fat from skillet and add the remaining butter, the wine, lemon juice, scapes and bring mixture to a boil. Stir in capers and salt & pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serves 4.