Hey there, I'm Jill, the founder of GrownupDish.com and your go-to gal for everything midlife. As a recovering CEO, food lover, world traveler, and self-proclaimed pop culture aficionado, I've got a wealth of experience and wisdom to share with you.
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Have you heard of garlic scapes? They’re the stalks that grow from the bulb of a garlic bulb. And they’re delicious. My favorite thing to do with them is to make a Garlic Scape Pesto. Let me show you how I do it.
WTF is a Garlic Scape?
Garlic scapes look like super-sized chives, or scallions without the white parts at the ends. They’re most commonly around the beginning of June and they have a short growing season.
Garlic scapes taste like a unique blend of onion, scallion and garlic. However, scapes are usually less fiery and have a fresher, “greener” taste than the actual garlic bulbs. The texture is similar to that of asparagus.
VIDEO: Watch Me Make Garlic Scape Pesto
How To Store Garlic Scapes
Garlic scapes keep very well in the produce drawer in your fridge—they can last up to a month. You can also chop them up and freeze them in plastic bags, which will preserve them for much longer.
What Can I Cook With Garlic Scapes?
Garlic scapes are super versatile and can be used anywhere you might otherwise use garlic cloves or scallions. (If using, we would recommend skipping any additional garlic or garlic powder that recipe calls for.) They can be sautéed, pureed, roasted and pickled. (Sautéed in butter and sprinkled with salt, they make an excellent burger or sandwich topping, or even a kid-friendly side vegetable.) They’re great in a stir fry or added to omelettes, frittatas, soups and salads. They can be eaten cooked or raw—though, be warned, they are a little tough when raw.
My favorite way to use garlic scapes is in pesto. Toss a handful of roughly chopped garlic scapes in your food processor with some toasted nuts (I used a combo of walnuts and pistachios) and a handful of fresh basil. Slowly drizzle in olive oil and then stir in some Parmesan cheese. No need to add garlic cloves.
Garlic Scape Pesto is terrific added to hot pasta, stirred in to pasta salad or added to a homemade salad dressing. I also love to stir it into mayonnaise and use it as a sandwich spread. It’s amazing on a BLT.
Garlic scapes taste like a blend of scallions and garlic and you can turn them into the most amazing pesto. You’ve gotta try this easy recipe.
Ingredients
UnitsScale
1 – 2cups of garlic scapes, chopped into 2″ pieces
1cup fresh basil leaves
1/3cup toasted nuts*
1/2cup grated parmesan cheese
(optional) 1/2 lemon, juiced
3/4 – 1 1/2cups olive oil
salt and pepper
Instructions
Pulse all ingredients (except olive oil) in a food processor until finely chopped.
Stream in olive oil until you get the consistency you want.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
I used a mixture of walnuts and pistachios because that’s what I had. You could also use pine nuts, cashews or almonds. Or substitute sunflower seeds for a nut-free version.
