I hadn't even heard of garlic scapes until we joined the CSA last year. Basically, they are the tender shoots from a garlic bulb. They poke through the ground and grow all twisty and bendy. If left unattended, they will eventually get hard, white and papery (like a garlic bulb). But if harvested while tender, they give a delicious, light garlic flavor to just about anything.
We've sauteed them in olive oil, added fresh to salads, and mixed with scrambled eggs. But I think my favorite way to use garlic scapes is to make garlic scape "pesto". I say "pesto" because there's no basil. But the end product is green, and it uses nearly all the same ingredients. It's delicious with pita chips or spread on sandwiches. Enjoy!
Garlic Scape Pesto
1 cup of garlic scapes, chopped into 1" sections
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 cups fresh parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Use only the tender parts of the garlic scapes, peeling the bottom ends if tough. Lightly toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat.
In a food processor, combine the garlic scapes and pine nuts, pulse to chop into a rough paste. Add cheese and pulse. With processor running, drizzle in just enough olive oil to achieve a moist spreading consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
(Adapted from the Omnivores Solution)
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Thanks for reading!