Editor's note: we've harvested the scapes from our garlic during the last couple weeks and I'm an extreme lover of good pesto sauce so I couldn't resist publishing this for you.
Garlic Scape and Basil Pesto
Photos and text by KARA DiCAMILLO/ecoRI News.org contributor
For the past few weeks at local farmers markets, I’ve seen garlic scapes, and since it’s been a hot week here in Rhode Island, I thought I’d make a simple recipe that requires few ingredients and little prep time.
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Scapes are essentially the stalk of garlic and, while they are snipped off the bulb and often sent to the compost pile, they are actually edible.
The great thing about pesto is that it can be used for a variety of purposes, such as marinating chicken or fish, or over salad greens or pasta, and it has a beautiful green color. Keep in mind that it is very garlicky, so you might not want to eat it for lunch at the office or before a meeting. I decided to mix mine with basil that I had growing in the garden and served it with spaghetti.
Garlic Scape and Basil Pesto
Makes about 2 cups
Makes about 2 cups
Quarter-pound of garlic scapes (about 8), chopped
Half-cup of basil
Half-cup of parmesan cheese, grated
Quarter-cup of pine nuts
Teaspoon of salt
Teaspoon of freshly cracked pepper
Juice of half of a lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
Three-quarters of a cup of olive oil
Half-cup of basil
Half-cup of parmesan cheese, grated
Quarter-cup of pine nuts
Teaspoon of salt
Teaspoon of freshly cracked pepper
Juice of half of a lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
Three-quarters of a cup of olive oil
In a medium-sized pan, toast the pine nuts over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned. Set aside. In a food processor, add the scapes, basil, cheese, pine nuts and lemon juice. Start the food processor and, as it’s running, add the olive oil and process until smooth.
It’s that easy. Don’t hesitate to try the pesto and add a little more of any of the ingredients and continue to process until you get the flavor that you want.
