A lot of my CSA-member friends have been wondering (aloud, in my vicinity) recently: what are these green, twisty things in my CSA share? And then: can I eat them? How?
Pesto, made with garlic scapes and spinach
They are garlic scapes, and they taste, well, like garlic. People also call them garlic curls or pigtails. They’re the green part of garlic that pushes up from the ground while the bulb is still growing. You can pretty much only find them in late spring or early summer, and pretty much only at farmer’s markets or CSAs. In the early part of the season, you can cut them, chop them up, and saute them like garlic. Or, you can make pesto.
I made up this recipe last weekend, and then made it again last night because it was so good. (It came out better the first time, honestly – I think the second batch of scapes was a little tough and didn’t puree nicely.) This is also a perfect sort of hands-free cooking recipe, because the ingredients really do just go together in whatever portions you prefer. It’s all about adding things, tasting, and adding more things until you get it right.
I will warn you, though: people say scapes are milder than actual garlic, but this was still really strong. Really strong. It rivaled the dinner I had at The Stinking Rose, a San Francisco restaurant that specializes in garlic. If you love garlic, you’re in for a treat – and even then, use with care.
Garlic scape pesto is great over pasta
I served this dish two different ways: once straight over spaghetti, and the second time with ricotta and whole wheat pasta spirals. Both were excellent, and both left garlic coming out of our pores. Another cool thing: because there’s little or no basil in it, this pesto doesn’t turn brown as soon as you make it!
Got another great use for garlic scapes? Please share! I might like to try something a little less intense, next time…
Garlic Scape Pesto
Combine the following in a food processor, starting with the lower-end amounts:
- 1 bunch (4-6) garlic scapes, cut into pieces to make them easier to puree
- 1/4 to 1/2 lb baby spinach (or even more)
- some basil leaves (optional)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- olive oil (add a little at the beginning, then more to get the desired consistency for the sauce)
- salt to taste
Put your starting set of ingredients (or as much as will fit) in a food processor. Start on low, and work up to a high speed, stirring by hand as needed. If your food processor is like mine, you’ll need to mash the pesto down and away from the edges of the bowl every few minutes. Once you start to get a smooth consistency, with as few chunks as possible, start tasting and adding more spinach, cheese, and olive oil until you’re satisfied with the garlic-to-everything-else balance. Be patient, and keep processing until you’ve got a nice puree.
Serve fresh over your favorite pasta.
