I discovered garlic scapes (aka garlic blossoms, garlic flowers, etc.) this year, and really enjoy them, although recipes for them on the internet seem to be scarce, aside from the ubiquitous pesto recipe. So up until now, I've made up my own uses for them, including a pizza and an omelet. Here are my loosely-depicted recipes:
Garlic Scape, Mushroom, and Asparagus Pizza
- On top of spread-out pizza dough, drizzle olive oil, and sprinkle with a variety of chopped fresh herbs (I used basil, sage, and rosemary).
- Sprinkle shredded goat mozzarella, or regular mozzarella, or a combination of the two on top of herbs.
- Scatter sliced mushrooms, sliced asparagus, and sliced garlic scapes on top of cheese. Sprinkle on a little red pepper flakes to taste.
- Top with more shredded cheese and drizzle with black truffle oil.
- Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, or until it starts to look toasty.
Garlic Scape, Arugula, and Ricotta Salata Omelet
- In a frying pan, saute sliced garlic scapes in olive oil and a little salt until softened.
- Pour over it eggs scrambled with a little milk and red pepper flakes. Leave it alone.
- When the egg/scape combination starts to set, place slices of ricotta salata cheese on one side of the eggs. Place some torn arugula on top of that, and top with more ricotta salata slices.
- Fold the empty side of the egg over the filled side, and reduce the heat.
- After a bit, flip over to cook the other side.
And here are a bunch of recipes I found scattered throughout the internet today, but haven't actually tried yet. They look good though, and I'll probably be making one of them tonight for dinner.
Lemon Scented Pasta with Garlic Scapes and Veggies
(Serves 2 as a main course or four as a side dish)
1/3 box of spaghetti
5 or 6 garlic scapes sliced thinly
6 Sun dried tomato halves sliced thinly
¾ cup fresh corn
½ cup flat leaf parsley
Zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
1 cup chicken stock
Cook the spaghetti till al dente and set aside.
Sautee scapes and tomatoes till fragrant then add the corn, parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice and simmer lightly.
Turn the heat up a bit; add the chicken stock and pasta and toss everything to coat and until the sauce is slightly thickened.
Serve garnished with additional parsley.
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Chicken With Garlic Scapes & Capers
2 whole skinless boneless chicken breasts, halved
2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 Tbsp. dry white wine
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
4 chopped garlic scapes
1 Tbsp. drained capers
Between sheets of plastic wrap slightly flatten chicken. In a large heavy skillet heat 1Tbsp. of butter and the oil over medium high heat. Saute until cooked through. Season with salt & pepper. Transfer chicken to a platter and keep warm. Pour off fat from skillet and add the remaining butter, the wine, lemon juice, scapes and bring mixture to a boil. Stir in capers and salt & pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serves 4.
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Garlic Scape Carbonara
serves 4
This pasta is fantastic as a meal served with a big garden salad and some crusty bread. If desired, add a half-cup of fresh, lightly cooked peas to the mix for a little added nutrition (and sweetness).
1/2 lb campanella pasta, or shape of your choosing
4 slices bacon (about 3 1/4 ounces), chopped
1/4 cup garlic scapes, cut into 1/4 inch coins
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
Set a pot of water to boiling on the stove and cook the campanella pasta (or desired shape).
While it’s cooking, cook the bacon over medium heat until browned. Remove the bacon pieces with a slotted spoon and add the garlic scapes. Cook until soft (2-3 minutes). Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. (Drain both the bacon and the garlic scapes on a paper towel).
Whisk together the eggs, salt and red pepper flakes.
When the pasta is done, quickly remove it from the stove and set a different burner to low heat. Drain the pasta and add it back to the pot, on the burner set to low. Stir in the garlic scapes and bacon. Add the egg mixture and stir feverishly for 3-4 minutes until sauce is thick and creamy. Don’t let it overcook or it will be gloppy. Sprinkle the romano cheese in, a little at a time, and stir to combine. Don’t add it all at once or it won’t mix through out the pasta as well (since it will clump).
Serve immediately.
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White Bean and Garlic Scapes Dip
Time: 15 minutes
A Good Appetite: A Garlic Festival Without a Single Clove (June 18, 2008)
1/3 cup sliced garlic scapes (3 to 4)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, more to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling.
1. In a food processor, process garlic scapes with lemon juice, salt and pepper until finely chopped. Add cannellini beans and process to a rough purée.
2. With motor running, slowly drizzle olive oil through feed tube and process until fairly smooth. Pulse in 2 or 3 tablespoons water, or more, until mixture is the consistency of a dip. Add more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice, if desired.
3. Spread out dip on a plate, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with more salt.
Yield: 1 1/2 cups.
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BEET GREENS & GARLIC SCAPE DECONSTRUCTED PESTO
2 c beet greens, chopped into 2 inch pieces
3 or 4 garlic scapes, chopped
1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 c chopped toasted walnuts
your favorite pasta (I used angel hair)
1-15 oz can diced tomatoes (once tomatoes are in season I would use chopped Romas)
Parmesan cheese, shredded
Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat skillet over medium low heat.
Add oil, greens, garlic scapes, salt & pepper. Stir everything around. Cover for 3-5 minutes until everything is wilted. Add in chopped walnuts. Drain pasta. Toss tomatoes and greens with the pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese when ready to serve. ENJOY!
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Fish with Olives and Garlic Scapes
I preheated the oven to 450. Took two sheets of parchment paper, and brushed them with some of the orange olive oil. I layered the fish, chopped Greek olives, chopped sundried tomatoes, and chopped garlic scapes. I drizzled a little olive oil over the top, salt and peppered it, contemplated going outside to snip some fresh herbs, decided I was too lazy, and closed up the pouches. Placed them on a cookie sheet and baked for 10 minutes. Served it over rice.
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Garlic Scape Soup
(This soup enhances the delicate garlic-asparagus flavor of the scapes. You may use the flower as well.)
3 cups garlic spears, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauté the garlic spears and the onion in the olive oil over medium heat until vegetables are soft. Add the thyme at the end. In food processor, pureé the vegetables and add chicken stock as needed to make a smooth paste. In saucepan, heat the vegetable mixture and add the remaining chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and add the cream. Adjust the seasoning. Serves 4.
