I don't know- I've never tried them. But oh, man, have you made me want to!

Annie,

Yes, make pesto! I made my first batch of garlic scape pesto last week. It is potent with garlic - I toned it down with some parsley and a little mint. I used Dorie Greenspan's recipe, with almonds and parmesan. So good!

Here is a link that might be useful: garlic scapes

Thanks, jadeite, for that link. She was right on when she described the smell as a cross between garlic and grass. Elery called it "verdant" and it definitely is.

I think the author's husband had the right idea, just eat the stuff on good bread!

ynnej, check your local farmer's market, scapes have just become widely available the last couple of years and now they are very "fashionable", you can get them a lot more places than in the past. I think the garlic growers just recently realized that they had two cash crops with garlic, not just the bulb!

Annie

Never seen these before...would lik to try them !

Defrosted plops need toasted pine nuts and parmesan for pesto plops on crostini/stale toast. Or, make small potato latkes and use them for the base of an appetizer with the plops on top and a roasted cherry tomato plopped atop the plop. This is getting pretty silly......

Nancy

Boy oh boy, Nancy, we're just plopping all over the place here, aren't we? (grin)

I like the idea of the latkes too, yum. I love potatoes in all forms and now I'm thinking maybe garlic scape plops mixed with sour cream for a baked potato...

Eileen, try the farmer's market or any good market you have that sells fresh produce, it's scape season right now and that only happens once a year, they're very seasonal. They're also good grilled!

Annie

Annie - I stopped at our local farmer's market and bought a huge bag of scapes. I had planned to do this, but your post made it a must. Your scapes look much fresher than the ones I bought. I think I'll have to try growing my own garlic later this year.

Cheryl

That's because my scapes had been cut about 5 minutes before that picture was taken, LOL, they were VERY fresh.

Here we plant garlic in October, it overwinters and then about late May or early June, sends up scapes. It's ready to dig in July or August. Because of that time frame I don't plant in my garden, it always gets plowed up in the spring somehow. I plant it right in the backyard, where I can keep track of it!

Enjoy the scapes, this is the first year I've frozen them, now I just have to remember to use them up.

Annie

You have scapes already?? sighhhh.... I don't even have my beans in yet and the cole crops are still in the greenhouse. It was too cold to plant and now too wet to till. The garlic's loving it, but no sign of scapes yet.

Last year I made scape pesto with blanched almonds and froze it in little foodsaver bags. Yum.

Plops would be good in anything...

I like them cooked with potatoes, but the only garlic I have in my yard is society garlic, which Bernard planted for the flowers. The leaves are edible but do not have all that much flavor. Maybe I should plant some regular garlic - I have plenty of room for it!

Do you buy special garlic for planting, or can you use garlic from the grocery store?

Lars

For scapes you need the 'hard neck' variety of garlic
for planting, as opposed to the 'soft neck'.

ibpod is right, hard neck garlic is the only type that sends up scapes, not the soft neck type. Since I never really know what it is in the grocery store, I buy my "seed" garlic cloves. There are about a zillion varieties available now, so you can plant an assortment of reds and purples and whites, whatever you like.

lars, I think garlic would do well in California, I know Gilroy grows it!

Annie

Oh, and katiec, it's been the hottest year I can remember here, it was in the 80s in April a couple of times, then frost, then 80s. It's hit the 90s already a few days and in the 90s this weekend again. It's wild, and the garden is loving it.

Sorry about your garlic scapes, go talk nice and maybe they'll hurry up!

Annie

Mine are ready too! I'm saving them for next week when my mom and daughter will be here. Planning on grilled salmon with lots of roasted veggies (scapes, peppers, onions, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, cauliflower) and good bread.

Yummy!

Deanna

Annie,

Your scapes look yummy. Alas, no scapes here 'cause I've got soft neck "Early Italian' planted. The weather here has been unusual also. My garlic is already mostly brown & is layed over. Normally, harvest would be mid-July. Do you think they could be ready this early?

Guess we should just dig a couple up to see what happening down there...

/tricia

Mine have come and gone. I have some basically wild garlic that spreads and grows and produces interesting flowers, but never useable bulbs. I always knew I should cut those flowers off, but I've never done so. I'll do that next year and try the ideas y'all have suggested. If I remember. lol

Sally

Lars, grocery stores carry softneck, which stores better but won't give you scapes. Let me know if you want to try growing some for scapes...I may have a couple of varieties that might do ok where you live.

Annie, I just planted beans today. Some of my garlic is thigh-high though...and no scapes. Strange year....