If you frequent farmers’ markets or get a CSA box, I know you’ve seen garlic scapes — those curly, crazy green things — and wondered what to do with them. They are plentiful from late spring through the middle of summer, so their time is running out. I’m here to urge you to get some while you can and preserve their flavor by making a simple pesto that can be used in a million different ways.
I love the flavor of garlic and what it does to enhance my cooking, but sometimes the flavor can be too harsh, especially when used raw. Plus, chopping garlic is one of my two most hated kitchen jobs. (Can you guess the other one?)
Enter garlic scapes, the curly, potentially flowering stalks that grow out of hardneck garlic in the spring and early summer. Farmers trim them so the plant can use its energy to form bulbs, rather than flowers, leaving us with this tasty gift.
Scapes do everything garlic does, but better, in my opinion. Their flavor is milder, so they don’t require cooking to be digestible, and they have a grassy freshness that makes everything taste better.
So, how do you cook with garlic scapes?
They can be used in myriad ways. I like to grill them whole and eat them as a vegetable, where they function kind of like asparagus or green beans with a mild garlic flavor. Just grill for a few minutes until charred.
If I’m using scapes in place of garlic bulbs, I cut them into small pieces to start. So much easier than chopping garlic!
In particular, I like to use scapes in pesto, where they’re the main ingredient and never too garlicky.
The garlic scape pesto I’m sharing with you today comes together quickly in the food processor. From there, you’ll have a handy condiment that can be swirled into hot or cold soup or heaped onto a sandwich. Adding a spoonful at the end of cooking just about anything (pasta, risotto) adds flavor and a verdant green color. I’ve also been using this as a quick marinade for fish or chicken. Add some to a vinaigrette (or even to green goddess!). Anywhere you might use garlic, use a dab of garlic scape pesto.
This pesto keeps well in the fridge for at least a week, and can be frozen in ice cube trays so you can access the fresh flavor of garlic scapes for months to come.
If you only do one thing with your scape pesto, I suggest you spread on good sourdough and toast for the best garlic bread you’ll ever taste. Check out the video above for a full tutorial, and the recipe below.
And so that you can enjoy all this veggie has to offer, I’m also sharing with you a recipe for Grilled Bohemian Steak with Grilled Garlic Scapes. Keep scrolling for that, and let me know how you like to use your garlic scapes!
But first: How to prep garlic scapes
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