Scape Pesto

 Garlic Scapes

 I plant fresh garlic every year. This year I planted from the saved bulbs from the previous year and added a new variety shared by my sister Christine who lives in Port Moody, BC.
Garlic Scapes are the curly shoots that grow from the bulbs of the hardneck garlic plant. The scapes have the flavour of garlic crossed with green onions and is milder than garlic.  To harvest the scape, cut just below the curlie shoot, separating it from the main plant.  The youngest scapes will have a very tight curl – they are the most tender.
Once the scapes are removed, you’ll know your garlic is only about a month away from harvest. 



Scape Pesto

Ingredients:     
•    10 garlic scapes
•    1/3 cup walnuts
•    2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
•    3 tbsp lemon juice
•    1 tsp sea salt
•    1 tsp ground pepper
•    1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil – although I added more as I blended
•    Handful of fresh basil
•    2-3 garlic cloves (I like extra garlic)

Directions:
1)    Trim the garlic scapes by cutting just below the bulb and discard (or at least set aside if you are going to plant the heads in the fall) and cut into 1-inch pieces.
2)    In a food processor, add the scapes, walnuts, yeast, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic cloves
3)    With the processor running, slowly add the olive oil. Continue blending until all the pieces are broken down.
4)    Add a handful of fresh basil and pulse a few more times

Use immediately or store in a covered container in the fridge. You can also freeze the pesto in ice cube trays. Once frozen, remove from tray and store in a Ziplock freezer bag. Or you can freeze pesto in a jar.

I found I had to pulse in the food processor for a long time. My scapes were not as young as I would have liked but the flavour was lovely, and we used it right away on our pasta.
   
Bon appétit

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