Garlic scapes, that is. The curly firm stalks growing out of soil-submerged garlic bulbs. Summer is their season. Yes, they do taste like garlic but with less bite, extremely verdant and with a texture that resembles a firm string bean. They go on my favorite seasonal vegetable list right next to ramps.
I first used garlic scapes in the nascent years of my food business. No, it wasn’t in a dish. I used its winding shape and minimalist structure to adorn hors d’oeuvres serving trays. It reflected the aesthetic of what I wanted my business to be. Today, I still use this striking and beautiful vegetable in myriad ways.
Recently, back up in the Berkshires with friends Lisa and Doug for the usual revelry, cooking and relaxation, I found two garlic scapes in Lisa’s garden while clipping some flat leaf parsley for my delicious SCHOP! green sauce (like a thicker chimichurri sauce). Having never cooked with them before, I thought one would add the right amount of flavor.
To make the SCHOP! green sauce, I added the garlic scape to my usual ingredients of fresh oregano, parsley, cilantro, scallions, lime zest and juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper and a dash of vinegar. This sauce is perfect for meat and poultry, but that night we used it over grilled cod and roasted potatoes. Nom, nom and nom! So good! Next time I will use two or three scapes and omit the garlic to let that delicate scape flavor come through.
I thought the Berkshires might be my last run-in with garlic scapes for the season until I was grocery shopping for a client and found fresh, local, organic New York State scapes at Whole Foods. They were definitely going on the menu that day, but how? I figured that they have the texture of a string bean, so why not treat them like one. I added a bag of organic string beans to my cart.
I cut the scapes into two-inch pieces, steamed them for 90 seconds (60 seconds might even be better) just to take a little of the sting out of them and stuck them in the freezer to stop the cooking; same process with the string beans but a steam of two minutes. A quick sauté in a tablespoon of butter and olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper and the side dish was born. Next time I will use haricot vert for their similar girth to the scapes—no pre-steam will be necessary!
I had to pick up more garlic scapes on the way home that day because … I had to! Find out what I did with them this time on my blog at www.TalkingSCHOP.wordpress.com.
Happy eating and thanks for reading!
Kysha Harris is a food writer, culinary producer, consultant and owner of SCHOP!, a personalized food service offering weekly and in-home entertaining packages. Questions? Comments? Requests? Feedback? Invitations! Email her at kysha@SCHOPnyc.com, follow her on Twitter and Instagram @SCHOPgirl or on Facebook www.facebook.com/SCHOPnyc. For even more recipes, tips and food musings subscribe to her blog at www.talkingSCHOP.wordpress.com. Follow AmNewsFOOD @NYAmNewsFOOD.
