My wonderful friend and Reiki Master, Kevin, brought me some beautiful garlic scapes from his garden. They’re rarely in markets and I’m always excited to see them. And for someone who loves garlic, the pungent, garlicky flavor is always welcome. They are still in season for a little longer so if you do find them, here are two things to do with them.
As far as cleaning the scapes: the whole garlic scape is edible, including the flower bulb at the end. I usually remove the bulb because it has a thinner texture than the rest of the stalk and it can taste fibrous when eaten raw (which includes both these recipes). Also, the different parts will cook at a different rate when sautéing or roasting them.
Garlic Scape Aioli
INGREDIENTS
4 roughly chopped garlic scapes
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 egg yolk
1/2 lemon, juiced (about 1 Tbsp)
1/3 C olive oil
1/3 C vegetable oil
METHOD
Trim off and discard the flower bud. Wash and roughly chop the garlic scapes. In a food processor finely mince the garlic scapes with the salt. (Not too tiny - I like the “bite” and texture of the chopped scapes.
You probably know this already, but the best way to separate the egg yolks from the whites is to crack one into your fingers. The whites fall through your fingers and you can easily remove that little white membrane. A bit messy, but worth it.
Add the egg yolk and lemon juice to the food processor and pulse until fully incorporated.
Next, with the food processor running, very, very slowly pour in both of the oils. It’s important to add them slowly so that it emulsifies with the egg.
Continue to process until the oil is fully incorporated and the aioli is creamy like mayo.
Serve immediately on your favorite summer sandwich and store the rest in the refrigerator for up to one week. It most likely won’t last that long. Use it anywhere you’d use plain mayonnaise.
Garlic Scape Pesto
INGREDIENTS
1cup garlic scapes, sliced crosswise (about 10 to 12 scapes)
¼ cup raw sunflower seeds*
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup basil leaves
Juice of one lemon
METHOD
Trim off and discard the flower bud. Wash and roughly chop the garlic scapes.
Place the garlic scapes in a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds.
Add the sunflower seeds and pulse for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the olive oil and process on high for 15 seconds.
Add the Parmesan cheese and pulse until the ingredients are combined.
Add the basil and lemon juice, and process until reaching the desired consistency.
Add salt to taste and serve immediately.
This is great on pasta, in risotto, or even used as a “chimichurri” of sorts on your steak.
Call some friends who garden and try to get your hands on these spring beauties.
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