…like garlic breath before 8am. Each year in mid-June we have deliciously decadent garlic scapes available. Chop and add them to stir-fry, or use our famous Garlic Scape Pesto recipe for a flavor-filled spread, topping, or filler.
Simply put, the garlic scape is the flower bud of the plant. As the scape emerges on a mature garlic plant, the stalk curls – some varieties with just a slight bend, and others with two or more twists. As it begins to straighten out, we cut off the scape and the plant’s internal mechanisms tell it to turn its energy to bulb growth. Bulbs increase in size by up to 20% before harvest a week or two later.
What do you do with them?
We use them just like you would garlic or scallions, and from the scape you get full garlic flavor. Our favorite recipe for the very brief season is Garlic Scape Pesto. Use it as a dip, or an ingredient in any recipe that calls for pesto — pasta, as a condiment, on grilled meats and seafood, appetizers…the world is your garlicky oyster with this tasty delight.
What else is available for picking at that time of year?
- Lettuces – salad blend and speckled romaine
- Radishes – french breakfast and pink beauty
- Spinach – merlo nero and gigante d’inverno
- Leafy greens – kale, chard, beet tops
- Wildflowers – new things blooming daily
- …more or less…