Most people have never heard of scapes. I know I hadn’t before relocating to an area with a nearby farm that grows garlic. Scapes are the curling stalks of the hard-necked garlic plants that contain the seed heads. As the garlic bulb grows & matures underground, the stalk grows upwards and starts to curve. This is also an edible portion of the garlic plant. Scapes have a spicy, mellow garlic flavor. They are traditionally used in European & Asian cuisines.
The curling part of the garlic plant is the scape.
Our local garlic farm sells scapes for 2 weekends in June each year. After reading about scapes on The Garlic Farm website, I harvested the scapes from the garlic plants in my garden and we picked more up at The Garlic Farm. They can be used like chives and added to salads and stir-frys, or prepared any way that you would prepare fresh asparagus. I made a batch of scape pesto with a recipe from The Garlic Farm. That in turn was used for some pesto pizza.
Garlic Scape Pesto (from The Garlic Farm website)
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1–2 tablespoons lemon juice, adjusted to taste
- 1/4 pound roughly chopped scapes
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- salt to taste
Puree scapes, olive oil, and juice in a blender or food processor until nearly smooth.
Pesto is best with some texture to it, not blended smooth.
Gently stir in the cheese or gingerly pulse the cheese into the mixture. Avoid overblending as it will become gummy. Sample the pesto, then adjust the juice and salt to taste.
Not the usual pesto!
Store the pesto in the refrigerator to use within two or three days. Freeze it for longer storage. Scape pesto freezes well, and it holds its appealing green color when frozen even better than the traditional basil pesto.
Pesto Pizza (makes 1 pizza)
- 2-3 tablespoons pesto, depending on tortilla size
- 1 tortilla
- 1-2 tablespoons goat cheese or feta cheese
Place the tortilla on a baking sheet. Spread the pesto on the tortilla.
Spread some pesto on the tortilla.
Break the goat cheese up and drop small amounts on the pesto. Bake the pizza for 8-10 minutes at 400°. Cut it into quarters and serve.
A great appetizer or a light dinner!
Try something out of the ordinary! ~Linda
Garlic Scape Pesto (from The Garlic Farm website)
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1–2 tablespoons lemon juice, adjusted to taste
- 1/4 pound roughly chopped scapes
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- salt to taste
Puree scapes, olive oil, and juice in a blender or food processor until nearly smooth.
Gently stir in the cheese or gingerly pulse the cheese into the mixture. Avoid overblending as it will become gummy. Sample the pesto, then adjust the juice and salt to taste.
Store the pesto in the refrigerator to use within two or three days. Freeze it for longer storage. Scape pesto freezes well, and it holds its appealing green color when frozen even better than the traditional basil pesto.
Pesto Pizza (makes 1 pizza)
- 2-3 tablespoons pesto, depending on tortilla size
- 1 tortilla
- 1-2 tablespoons goat cheese or feta cheese
Place the tortilla on a baking sheet. Spread the pesto on the tortilla.
Break the goat cheese up and drop small amounts on the pesto. Bake the pizza for 8-10 minutes at 400°. Cut it into quarters and serve.