scapes

[spazita]

OK, got a big mess of garlic scapes here. Now what the heck do I do with them?

Taz

[limonay]

They also are just fine in a quick saute or stir fry - if you want their natural, light garlicky flavor to shine.

http://fortychestnuts.com/2011/06/11/...

Sautéed Garlic Scapes

1/2 pound garlic scapes

olive oil

sea salt

black pepper

Heat oil in a pan on medium-high heat.

Cut garlic scapes into 1-1/2″ pieces.

Sauté scapes in pan until tender, about 4 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

[Gio]

For the first time ever the farm we shop at had some and I was thrilled to finally buy them. I made a Batali caprese salad and added the scapes, chopped, to a champagne vinegar dressing. I'm told they freeze well too, if you can't use them within a week or so... But really, garlic scapes can be used just as you would garlic cloves. They're much milder than the cloves, though.

[greenish]

I used them as a pizza topping this week. I sautéed them until they were softened a bit and then threw them whole on top of the pizza. They looked kind of gorgeous all curly and strange-looking on the pizza.

[LNG212]

I'm actually making this Garlic Scape Tart tonight (the dough is in the frig as I type this). It sounds like it'll be perfect with a nice salad for a summer evening dinner.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/20...

[BabsW]

I used them in pesto, just used my regular recipe with basil and pine nuts and did a straight substitution for the garlic, though I used purple basil for another twist. lol Purple pesto. :)

Pasta aglia e olio with scapes. I slow-simmered them in olive oil to soften them and get a lot of the flavor, then added the pasta and some pasta water. My kids totally devoured this one. A few of the scapes got a bit crispy, and my youngest saved them for last and then gobbled them up.

I also substituted them for garlic in a Swiss chard tart.

[magiesmom]

I make pesto out of them, no basil, just scapes. I love them grilled too, just for a minute, brushed with olive oil.

[cheesemaestro]

Do you make this pesto with garlic cloves, too? Or do the scapes substitute for both the basil and the garlic?

[Nyleve]

Remove the bud ends - they're tough. Cut into 1-inch pieces and add to a stir fry or any sauteed vegetable mixture. I recently made some pasta with Swiss chard, scapes, onions and cherry tomatoes which was delicious. Last year I made a whole bunch of scape butter (just blend raw, cleaned scapes with butter) that I froze in long rolls. A pat of this on a grilled steak is excellent and it makes a fantastic garlic bread. I'm personally not a fan of scape pesto but lots of people really like it.

[MGZ]

I've been playing with them myself this summer. They seem to be a lot more prevalent at local markets. Frankly, I think I enjoyed them most cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces and merely sauteed in olive oil (butter would work fine too) until softened yet retaining some bite. Seasoned only with salt and pepper. I served them as a side, as if they were green beans, with a grill roasted pork roast, some crusty bread, and some of the first tomatoes of the season. I guess I'm just a simple man.

[gordeaux]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/791160

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/792954

Not sure if I replied in either of those topics, but I prefer to use them raw in dressings - like for tortellini or pasta salad, or or sub sammich dressing. Olive oil, raw scapes, little vinegar, lemon juice, random spices (but fresh basil,) blender - done.