The first time I saw garlic scapes, I didn’t think they were edible.
Those long, gangly heads and that tough stalk?
However, I soon learned that scapes are an easy addition to almost any menu, given a bit of creativity and passion for the slightly…different. 😉 I prize them now — they are a flavorful and nutritious green when most crops haven’t even been planted yet! I’m convinced scapes are God’s way of proving that He provides for every season!
So what are garlic scapes?
They are the tall stems and unopened flower buds of certain hard-neck varieties of garlic. Scapes have a slightly sweet, mild garlic flavor and the firmness of tender asparagus. This makes them easy to use in a variety of dishes, from soups to stir-fries! It turns out, their stems aren’t nearly as tough as they look, so they render a pesto nearly as soft as traditional basil pesto.
Scapes are easy to recognize once you know what they are. They’re tall, but only part of the stem is straight, since the stalks form eccentric curlicues as they grow. If you snip the scapes off of the bulb of garlic before the flowerheads mature, the plant will direct more energy into developing its own garlic bulb, so make sure you cut off your garlic scapes and use them liberally.
My favorite way to eat garlic scapes is in this pesto — it accompanies pasta, chicken, salmon, potato salad, and burgers beautifully. I hope your family enjoys this flavor-packed bowl of green as much as ours does!
Garlic Scape Pesto
Ingredients
- 10 to 12 garlic scapes approximately 2 feet tall
- 3/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese grated*
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/16 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
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Remove the head from the scapes, then chop the stems into 1 to 2" pieces.
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Place in a food processor along with the nuts and the parmesan cheese.
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Grind until the mixture is coarsely chopped but the pieces are fairly equal in size.
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With the motor still running, slowly drizzle the oil in through the feed tube until all the oil has been incorporated.
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Continue grinding until your desired texture is reached. I prefer the pesto fairly smooth and just a bit grainy, while others prefer it much more coarse.
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Serve immediately or place in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Recipe Notes
*For a dairy-free, Paleo parmesan cheese, see here.
What’s your favorite way to eat garlic scapes?
...without giving up the foods you love or spending all day in the kitchen!
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So what can you do with the heads of the scapes? The pesto sounds great, by the way!
I like to use them to decorate the top of the pesto (if it’s on a buffet table) or on top of the entree if I’m plating the food individually. They are edible, so you can use them if you really like as part of the pesto, but they’re often fibrous and tough, so I prefer to just decorate with them. 🙂
I bet this would make a great ‘Rub” for meats, potatoes, sliced & slow baked tomatoes with olive oil…….Yum!
Ooo… yummy! That sounds delicious!
Garlic scape pesto is one of my most favorite pesto’s – I cannot get enough of it but it is expensive if you buy it ready made. It’s hard to find the scapes where I live though. I should telephone some of the farmer’s from the farmer’s market to see if they have them or ask where I can find them.
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I LOVE garlic. I could probably put it in every non-dessert dish and never get tired of the taste. (And it’s so good for you, too.)
However, I’m not familiar with garlic scapes. I’ll have to be on the lookout for this one now.
Thanks for the great garlic scape pesto recipe!
This looks so good! We planted a new ( to us) variety of garlic this year just for the scapes. We enjoyed them with lamb chops the other night sauteed in a small amount of ghee. Very nice!
Can this be frozen?
Yea. But skip the cheese. It doesn’t freeze well. Just add the cheese like you’re making fresh pesto after it’s thawed