Scapes are the flower stalk of the garlic plant. We snip them off because that helps the garlic bulb develop better - and, conveniently, they're also delicious! You can use them in just about any place you'd use garlic or onions - just chop them up, excluding the long flower bud on the end, which usually isn't very tasty. This pesto is one of the best ways to use this short-lived treat.
Garlic Scape Pesto (Stolen from Kim O'Donnel at the Washington Post)
Ingredients:
1 cup garlic 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
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.
This makes a very garlicky pesto! You can tone it down by subbing up to 3/4 cup pea shoots, arugula, blanched nettles, spinach, or basil.
You can also freeze this in ice cube trays to put on pasta or in soups all winter long!
Ingredients:
1 cup garlic 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
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.
This makes a very garlicky pesto! You can tone it down by subbing up to 3/4 cup pea shoots, arugula, blanched nettles, spinach, or basil.
You can also freeze this in ice cube trays to put on pasta or in soups all winter long!