| Moscow Food Co-op Produce Tips | |
The
Great Garlic Scape
by Mary Jane Butters, from the June 2002 newsletter
Save Your Scapes! Sometimes I think I should parade around the Co-op carrying
that sign. Too many local garlic growers are composting their scapes and not
enjoying one of the most delicious ways to eat this wonderfully healthful plant.
Usually in mid-June, garlic that is growing on the Palouse bursts upward with a curly seed top known as the scape. Scapes are the flowerstalks found on all members of the Allium family (onions, leeks, chives, and garlic). In garlic, the scapes curl as they grow, and ultimately straighten, and then grow little seed-like bulbils. Garlic producers remove the scapes to enhance bulb development.
Most farmers waste these flowertops, but we've learned how great they can be. When the scapes are newly-budded and while they are still in full curl, they are tender and provide a delightfully subtle garlic flavor. After the scapes have straightened and the flowertop is maturing, they are tough and unappetizing.
However, when the scapes are coiled like a pig's tail–usually mid- to late June in this area–they are delicious and ready for harvest. They add a tender crunchiness if added to salads and soups, or cook well in stir-fries.
And best of all, these scapes can be made into Garlic Scape Pesto by blending the scapes with olive oil. This pesto spread is delicious on pizzas or sandwiches. Since the scapes are fresh for only a few weeks annually, this garlic pesto is also seasonal food. The scapes make a pesto that is a pretty green color that has a rich garlic flavor, but without a hot garlic bite. During the season, I eat it two or three times daily.
Rich Hannan, of the USDA's Western Region Plant Introduction Station at WSU, first shared with us the idea of using garlic scapes for pesto. Rich is in charge of storing and saving seeds or all kinds of crop varieties to maintain biodiversity. He has cataloged and stored 197 different strains or varieties of garlic.
He told me that he first had Garlic Scape Pesto in 1986, when visiting a friend in New York. He liked both the recipe and the idea of using what had previously been considered a wasted part of the plant. A few years later, he shared the recipe with me.
Now,
I am sharing Garlic Scape Pesto with you. The Co-op Deli will offer this for
sale this month. Please come try some at the MaryJanesFarm booth at the Farmer's
Market. We're in the middle of the northern-most row, next to the Hotel.
Garlic Scape Pesto
1/2 lb. organic scapes (chopped into 1" sections)
1 c. organic olive oil
2 c. grated parmesan cheese
In a blender, combine the scapes and olive oil. Pour mixture into bowl and blend the cheese in by hand.
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