>The Great ‘Scape

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We planted four varieties of garlic in the fall, and of the two hardneck varieties (Chesnok Red and Spanish Roja) The Roja is the first to make scapes this year. Scapes are the flower stalk of the garlic (or any other onion family) plant. We remove them in order to try and steer the garlic plant into putting more energy into a large bulb. But why throw them away when they are delicious used as garlic—chopped and cooked, or roasted or grilled like asparagus. They are a little spicy raw, but some people like them like that. Other customers have reported that they like to purée them with olive oil like pesto and drizzle it on all kinds of things.

The garlic scapes can be cooked like asparagus—my favorite thing to do is brush them with a bit of olive oil and throw them on the barbecue—but they can also be roasted in the oven, or sautéed. Expect them to have the texture of asparagus, but with a mild garlic flavor.

GARLIC SCAPE IDEAS:
(Swiped from Mariquita Farm’s website.)
• Puree with olive oil and a bit of salt for a garlicky pesto
• Add sliced scapes to any stir fry recipe.
• Slice and sprinkle over any pasta, or slice and cook them in almost any sauce recipe.
• Great in guacamole and fresh salsa, too.
• Chop & add to softened cream cheese.
• Add chopped fresh scapes when serving a light garlic soup; can also add them to buttered, french bread floated on the soup. • Use them as you would green onions, they’re just better.
• Good in salads, on bruschetta, pizza.
• An excellent addition to stocks….and much Asian cuisine.
• Put in Thai chicken/basil/coconut soup.

GARLIC SCAPE TORTILLA
1 & 1/2 cups chopped garlic scapes
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup hot water
Salt & Pepper
4 large eggs
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Place garlic and scallions in a 10 inch skillet with 1 tsp. oil, 1/4 cup water and a pinch of salt. Cook covered over med. high heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well. Beat eggs with salt and pepper. Add remaining oil to skillet. When oil is hot, shake skillet to spread greens evenly, add eggs. Cover and cook over med. low heat until top is set [2-3 Minutes].

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 scapes
1/4 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 butter
2 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.

ROASTED GARLIC SCAPES
Take the scapes and put them in a lightly oiled roasting pan, top with salt (kosher or seas salt works best but any will do). Put the loaded and covered pan in a hot (425 °F) oven for 30 to 45 minutes or until they are beginning to turn brown. serve as a side or main dish. Tastes like roasted garlic but creamier.