Garlic scapes are the twisted green stalks that grow from the bulbs of garlic plants. You've probably seen them at farmers markets, in tangled piles held together with rubber bands. At $2 a bunch (or something like that) they're a good value. Stuff them in a plastic bag and they'll keep for a couple weeks in the refrigerator.
Garlic scapes aren't as strong in flavor as garlic itself, though they are lightly garlicky. A farmer suggested thinking of them and treating them as you would scallions. Trim the stringy, somewhat bulbous end of the scapes and finely chop the tendrils for use in omelets, frittatas and stir-frys. You can also mince the scapes finely and add them to vinaigrette dressing. Scapes can also be left whole and grilled. I've never tried this but I've filed it away for future reference.
We had a partial bunch of scapes in the vegetable drawer so I decided use them up by making Garlic Scape Pesto. We ate it on slices of buttered and grilled bread but you can also eat it on pasta, as you do with basil and other pestos. Tip: Save some pasta water to thin the pesto as needed.
1 cup garlic scapes, trimmed and chopped in small pieces
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (toasted if you like)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, or to taste
Salt to taste
Place the chopped garlic scapes, walnuts and a couple pinches of salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulverize until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the food processor running, add the olive oil in a steady stream through the tube until well blended. Scrape the pesto into a bowl then stir in the Parmesan. Taste for seasoning and add some salt if you like.
Serve with pasta or spread the pesto on buttered and grilled bread for a different take on garlic bread. Makes about 1 cup.
Note: For a thinner pesto, add more olive oil until the pesto is of the consistency you desire.
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