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Posts from the ‘Garlic Scapes’ Category

Jul 7

me and my corn circa 1980
6 Comments

CSA Week 4 Recipe: Summer Corn and Kohlrabi Salad

Nothing marks the arrival of summer quite like terrific corn. Just sitting on the porch shucking ears brings back countless happy memories for myself and my family. This recipe is a go-to, versatile side dish that is equally comfortable on an elegant buffet or transformed into a picnic lunch with the addition of black beans or leftover grilled chicken. It’s also a wonderful way to use any of the vegetables in your local CSA basket – in this version I’ve incorporated half of the recent harvest.

CSA Week 4: kohlrabi, turnips, garlic scapes, carrots, bunching onions, garlic, parsley, summer squash

 

SUMMER CORN AND KOHLRABI SALAD

8 ears sweet corn, boiled for 4 minutes, cooled, and cut from the cob

1 medium kohlrabi, trimmed and cut into a 1/4-inch dice

2  small turnips, trimmed and cut into a 1/4-inch dice

1/3 cup mixture of finely chopped garlic scapes, scallions or bunching onions, any combination of the three works

handful flat parsley, chopped

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 teaspoon cumin

salt and pepper to taste

dash of red pepper flakes (optional)

Toss together all ingredients in a large bowl. If you have high-quality extra virgin olive oil on hand, drizzle a bit over the top and serve.

Serves 6-8

Jun 11

CSA1
2 Comments

CSA Week 1 Recipe: Garlic Scape and Pea Shoot Pesto Pasta Salad

Happy days are here again!

This past Saturday was the first official week of our annual CSA membership! To celebrate we used a portion of our share to create a pesto for a potluck celebration at our local dairy, Mecox Bay Farm. Garlic scapes are perfect for making pesto, their flavor is slightly spicy and bright. The peas shoots lend a hint of sweetness. Experiment with any combination of herbs, greens, cheese and nuts. It’s all good!

CSA Week 1: garlic scapes, pea shoots, asian greens, 3 different lettuce varieties, green garlic, rainbow chard, kale.

GARLIC SCAPE AND PEA SHOOT PESTO PASTA SALAD

2 cups assorted seasonal vegetables such as snow peas and asparagus, trimmed

1 pound pasta (I like a fun shape for this – we used Cavatappi.)

8 garlic scapes

extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tablespoon dried oregano

red pepper flakes (to taste)

small handful of fresh basil, chopped

1/4 pound fresh pea shoots (about 2 cups), roughly chopped

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

small handful of toasted pine nuts or walnuts (optional)

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Blanch the snow peas and asparagus for about 3 minutes, until crisp-tender. Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon and rinse under cold water or shock in an ice water bath.

To the boiling water now add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Set vegetables and cooked pasta aside.

In the meantime, roughly chop the garlic scapes and place in a medium saute pan. Cover the scapes with the oil, add the oregano and red pepper flakes and cook, over medium-low heat, for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, let the scape oil cool slightly, then fold in your basil and pea shoots to wilt just a bit.

Transfer the entire content of the pan into a food processor, add the cheese and optional nuts, and blitz until well-combined into a pesto. If you need to add more oil to create a smooth texture, simply stream in a little at a time.

Toss together the vegetables, pasta and pesto in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. If you have some edible arugula or mustard flowers, scatter over the top for a pretty presentation!

Serves 4-6 as a main.

Jun 23

Kohlrabi

Indian Red Lentil and Kohlrabi Salad with Couscous (Week 4 CSA Recipe)

I love this recipe because it beautifully utilizes so much of this week’s CSA basket. This salad travels well and can be served cold or at room temperature.

2+1/2 tablespoons champagne or white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons garam masala

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup finely minced garlic scapes* (about 3), divided

2/3 cup red lentils

1 cup thinly sliced greens** (packed)

1 medium kohlrabi bulb, peeled and cut into a 1/4-inch dice (about 1+1/2 cups)

1/3 cup plain couscous

1/4 cup raisins, rehydrated in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes (optional)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the vinegar and garam masala in a small bowl with a whisk. Stream in the olive oil and stir in a tablespoon of the minced garlic scapes. Set aside.

Cook the lentils and sliced greens in a pot of salted, boiling water until lentils are just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain into a sieve and rinse under cold water. Drain again, pressing the remaining water out with the back of a spoon.

In the same pot, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil and remove from the heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the dressing along with the couscous. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. When all of the water has been absorbed, spoon couscous into a large bowl and fluff with a fork. Allow to cool slightly.

To the bowl add the remaining garlic scapes, lentils and greens, and diced kohlrabi. Pour the reserved dressing over the top. Mix gently to combine. Season with sea salt and pepper and mix in the rehydrated raisins, if desired.

Serves 2 as a main course

*If garlic scapes are out of season you can substitute with pressed garlic and/or minced scallions.

**Kohlrabi leaves, spinach, beet greens… I used the Tat Soi from this week’s basket since my kohlrabi leaves were a bit past their prime by the time I made this.

Week 4 CSA: Spicy Mesclun Mix, Tat Soi, Kohlrabi, Parsley, Lettuce, Turnips, Garlic Scapes, Kale

Jun 14

garlic scapes
6 Comments

Garlic Scapes (Week 3 CSA Recipes)

Until this year I’ll admit to not knowing about, much less cooking with, garlic scapes. Karin Bellemare was the first to clue me in, describing her copious production of a pesto made with scapes come early summer. The scape is the flowering stem that grows out of the garlic plant. Scapes are clipped by farmers to produce larger garlic bulbs later in the season. Scapes can be consumed raw or sauteed. They hit a gorgeously spicy note that lends itself to many sauces and dips. Here are two garlic scape recipes I’ve been enjoying; the first is a spread made with creamy white beans followed by Karin’s bright scape pesto. Enjoy these curly sensations while you can, the season is short!

WHITE BEAN AND GARLIC SCAPE SPREAD WITH LEMON

1/2 cup chopped garlic scapes (about 6, depending on size)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

pinch of sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 x 19-ounce can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup good-quality extra virgin olive oil

1 or 2 tablespoons vegetable stock (optional)

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Place scapes, lemon juice, zest salt and pepper into the bowl of a food processor and run until well-chopped and combined. Add Cannellini beans and blend again. While the food processor is running, stream in the olive oil. If the mixture is a bit thick, add a tablespoon of vegetable stock until desired consistency is achieved. Adjust seasoning and add red pepper flakes, if desired.

Serve with pita wedges or combine with lettuce and sprouts for a dynamite sandwich.

Makes about 2 cups.

GARLIC SCAPE PESTO*  (by Karin Bellemare)

10 Garlic Scapes—chopped into pieces

½ cup of Parmesan Cheese

1/3 cup Walnuts (creamier and cheaper then pine nuts!)

½ cup of Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

*EDITOR/AUTHOR’S NOTE:  To mellow this pesto’s flavor add a good bit of  basil, parsley, blanched kale or even steamed broccoli to the mix.

In a blender or food processor mix scapes, parmesan, and walnuts. As it blends add the olive oil until texture is just right. Add a dash of salt and pepper and give it a stir. Serve over pasta—or my new favorite on top of a grilled Portobello.

Makes about 1 + 1/2 cups.

Week 3 CSA: Garlic Scapes, Radishes (french breakfast), Mixed Greens/Salad Mix, Mustard Flowers, Chicory, Kale, Dill, Lettuce, Mixed Bean Sprouts

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