Garlic Scape Pesto

Have you ever heard of garlic scapes? I first heard of them last year around this time, but never found one. This year I hit the farmer's market and could not resist picking some up! Garlic scapes are the flower stalk that shoots up from the ground. They are pretty cool looking:

From Family, Friends and Food

When you cut into them, you instantly smell the garlic - which for me is heaven! The flavor is described as milder than what you find from a clove of garlic. So, if the bite from garlic is too much for you, go quickly to find these treasures! The season is extremely short, so you have to grab them while you can.

I decided to make a Garlic Scape Pesto and started by basing it off of a recipe that Gina's Weight Watcher's Recipes had posted recently. Then, I ended up totally changing the calories because I added a bit more basil... a bit more Parmesan... a bit more oil ... until I got the taste just where I wanted it. Can't tell you exact measurements, but start with Gina's recipe and taste as you go. Something I often wonder why the chefs on some of these reality shows don't do... they are supposed to be professionally trained aren't they?

From Family, Friends and Food

I tossed the vibrant green pesto with some hot spaghetti for dinner. My Husband and I both enjoyed it and I even have a small container of it leftover. I may spread a bit on a sandwich or even top some grilled fish with it. Either way, I think it is a simple yet perfect way to use garlic scapes.

In case you were wondering what else you can do with garlic scapes, check out these ideas:

Sarah's Cucina Bella shares the most comforting food I can imagine on a cool day - Garlic Scape Risotto.

Head over to Not Without Salt not only for the beautiful writing, but a whole slew of ways to use your garlic scapes before the season is over!

Hugging the Coast has even more ideas on how to use your garlic scapes... even preserving them to use them later by dehydrating them.