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Garlic scapes

12 years ago

ok, here's another one that I just must not do correctly. I've tried sauteing garlic scapes and they either dry out or get tough. Am I supposed to steam or boil them first? :)

Speaking of garlic scapes, what would you make for dinner if you had some nice garlic scapes, baby bella mushrooms, and roasted red peppers? lol!

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Comments (4)

sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
12 years ago
Are you buying them or harvesting from your crop?

I just picked a healthy harvest yesterday. I picked at the first curl. Last year mine were hard and woody because i picked too late. Wow did they come up fast this year...just over the past week...if i waited it may have been too late.

I was hoping to have them for a 4th of July party but may not happen. If harvesting from the garden, just pick one and taste for tenderness. Mine are perfect now.

Like asparagus, you may find a tough woody lower section that will not be edible that can be cut or snapped off. If tender when fresh, will be tender sauteed. I just quickly saute with a bit of garlic and maybe a shallot first...medium heat...and a handful of fresh herbs like thyme and chives and serve as i would asparagus...with chicken, fish, or pork or any veggie meal...i like them whole with their curl and still firm, just laying on top of the plate...
(top of the serving protein)....pretty and yummy.
trudy_gw
12 years ago
Chopped one into small pieces for my salad at lunch...oh love the taste. Mulch milder than chomping into a garlic bulb.
Grilled a few last week which were rubbed with garlic oil.

Collect early or they will be tough.
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hello Tim, if you haven't already found it, there's a thread about growing bulbils where I've included several links to informative blogs and various sites about growing garlic from bulbils. One of them mentions that they are no longer bothering to separate the umbels and planting the entire capsule. the resulting rounds are of a similar size to the separated ones. Your bulbils should remain viable until autumn, although some of the very smallest ones may dehydrate before then. If you can be bothered, plant the very smallest ones straight away and just use them as greens. Planatus, there are several good reasons for growing bulbils, it's an inexpensive way to dramatically increase your stock at a very low cost and the bulbs that were left to mature fully are still viable planting and/or eating stock so nothing is actually lost; subsequent bulbs will be fully acclimated to your environment and are often more vigourous and it is a safe way to swap garlic as you are reducing the risk of contaminating your garden with fungal diseases and/or nematodes etc. If they are grown in containers, the weeding is not such a problem although I grow the bulk of my bulbils in the open ground at a plot in a community garden. Here is a link that might be useful: bulbil thread
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Small cloves produce better greens than what are generally tiny bulbils. Better to always cut off the scapes pretty much regardless of whether the variety is hardneck or softneck. Always better bulb size when you do that, - well - almost always anyway. Softnecks (two types - Artichokes and silverskins) may bolt, but they are called softnecks because they very seldom ever do. But that doesn't mean they won't, although there is probably no forecasting just when it will happen. Hardnecks (8 types all seemingly more primitive that the softnecks and do not keep as well) will almost always bolt, although there is an intermediate group that they now put with the regular hardnecks called weakly bolting hardnecks (Turbans and Asiatics) which may or may not. The semi-woody flower stem produces the "hardneck" making them completely unsuitable for braiding. No bolt - no "hardneck", even if the variety is officially a hardneck, and that reverse happens sometimes, too. In the US generally hardnecks do better in the North and softnecks in the South. Exceptions to this vary from grower to grower, and are quite common. Generally Creoles are one of the exceptions doing generally much better in the South, even when they regularly or commonly bolt.
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I added 1/3 cup of sunflower seeds, and changed the way they said to blend it ( adding the olive oil last) - but this is the recipe i used. 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or other sharp Italian cheese 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice, adjusted to taste 1/4 pound roughly chopped scapes 1/2 cup olive oil salt to taste Puree scapes, olive oil, and juice in a blender or food processor until nearly smooth. (You can make a smooth paste if you prefer, but most people like a little texture in the pesto.) Gently stir in the cheese or gingerly pulse the cheese into the mixture; take it easy as you mix in the cheese to avoid making the pesto gummy by overblending. Taste and then adjust juice and salt to taste. Store in the refrigerator to use within two or three days; freeze for longer storage.
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skeip
12 years ago
Toss with Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper and do them on the grill until a little charred. YUM!!

Steve
party_music50
Original Author
12 years ago
yes, they're mine -- picked fresh and tender at the proper time before they've uncurled... I've grown garlic for MANY years... snapped off with my fingers to be sure they're not woody, just like I'd do when harvesting asparagus. I suspect I just blast them at too high heat for too long then. Thanks for the replies!

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