Garlic Scape Recipes

In botany, scapes are flowering stems, usually leafless, rising from the crown or roots of a plant. Scapes can have a single flower or many flowers, depending on the species. Garlic scapes are removed in order to focus all the garlic’s energy into bulb growth. The scapes are sold separately for cooking. Immature scapes are tender and edible. They are also known as “garlic spears”, “stems”, or “tops”. Scapes generally have a milder taste than cloves. They are often used in stir frying or as an accompaniment to other vegetables like asparagus.

Garlic scapes are a seasonal delicacy.

Garlic Scape and Spinach Warm Salad – 06/07/2011

A picture of the dish Montreal West member Dawn Rouse made from garlic scapes and spinach from the farm …and the recipe (we tried it Sunday  night – she was right when she told us it was delicious!) :

2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp dark brown sugar 8 oz garlic scapes, trimmed 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes 3/4 cup dry white wine 1/4 tsp ground pepper 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp chopped parsley 1/4 cup grilled haloumi cheese, diced (also called hallom or hallomi) 8 oz. of spinach leaves

Heat the oil in a sauté pan and add sugar.  Stir to caramelize the sugar for about 2-3 minutes and add the scapes. Cover and sauté over medium-high heat for no more than 3 minutes, occasionally shaking the pan to prevent scorching. After 3 minutes, add the tomatoes and wine. Stir, then cover and reduce heat to low; continue cooking 5-6 minutes or until scapes are tender but not soft. Season, then add the parsley and haloumi. Serve warm or at room temperature. Add the spinach just before serving, so it does not wilt too much.

A few suggestions of what to do with scapes – 01/07/2010

• Cook the scapes in a steamer for a few minutes, either alone or with another delicate green such as asparagus. Do not overcook. To give them additional zip, steam them a bit less and sauté them briefly, in butter or olive oil. If in butter, serve hot – you can even add a hollandaise sauce; if in oil, serve hot, or as a warm salad, with your favourite vinaigrette.
• Chop the scapes finely, place them in a container (preferably glass), add a bit of lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt. Cover entirely with olive oil and refrigerate immediately.
• Spread the scape-olive oil mixture (above) on toasted slices of baguette or ‘pain de campagne’, and add fresh diced tomatoes, like bruschetta.
• Brush the scape-olive oil mixture on a duck, veal or lamb roast before you cook it; the mixture is also great with fish.
• Use it with grated parmesan as a pesto substitute on your favourite pasta.

…let us know if you have any other ideas.