Though scape season is a little later than normal- it’s no less delicious!
For some people, garlic scapes are an unfamiliar ingredient, and for others, it’s all about garlic scape pesto, but little else. Since the season that they’re available is so fleeting, I’m going to give you some alternate ideas that will have you hunting down more of these curly little treats to enjoy all year long.
Garlic scape pasta sauce- I think scape pesto is the one that most people default to- and for good reason- it’s so scrumptious!! It also happens to be pretty easy. Just swap out the basil for garlic scapes in your favourite recipe and suddenly you’ll have a bowl of gorgeous pesto! But guess what- it can be even easier than that…… Blend up your scapes with a good glug of olive or grape seed oil, a pinch of salt, and maybe even a little lemon zest if you have it available. You now have the starting point for an amazing pasta sauce. Use it as is tossed over your favourite noodles, or add a few things from the fridge & pantry to jazz it up a bit. I usually add a jar of diced tomatoes, maybe a little pancetta, and some olives or capers, and top it all off with a bit of grated parm or some feta. The scapes are so flavourful that you can totally skip using the nuts that you would normally add to a pesto sauce!
BBQ scapes- If you love garlic, and you love potatoes chips, this one is for you! Toss your scapes in a bit of oil and season with salt & pepper. Put them on a hot grill and turn them frequently until the scapes are nicely charred. Allow them to cool, and then munch away. Their crispy salty goodness is highly addictive.
Frozen scapes- This is something I do every year with the bulk of our scapes harvest because I love having them available through the winter. All you need to do is blend them up with some oil and salt & pepper until smooth, and then separate into your family sized portions to freeze. I form them and cover each with a little clingfilm before putting them in the freezer on a tray. Once they’re frozen, they can all get tossed into a bag in the freezer (this step ensures that they don’t freeze into one massive clump.) Now you have them readily available through the cold winter months to serve with pasta, spread on fresh bread, over baked chicken or fish, or even as a topping for steak, or a dollop added into humus. The possibilities are endless, and trust me when I say, a steaming bowl of bright green garlic scape pasta on a cold January night is pure heaven.
Happy eating & I’ll see you next week!
Kim