Scape Pesto
Have you ever heard of scape pesto?
Up until two summers ago, I didn’t even know what scapes were. But last summer, I discovered how much I love scape pesto!
A scape is the stem of the garlic plant that often is discarded and goes unused. If you’re growing garlic, it is often removed before the flower blooms so that the energy can go into the bulb. I would describe a scape as a thick garlic flavored green onion. We like to use it to flavor rice as it’s cooking. We will often substitute green onions with scapes.
One of my summer favorites is to make a scape pesto (recipe below adapted from Chef John) and spread it on fresh bread or use it in pasta.
Scape Pesto Recipe
1 cup chopped garlic scapes
1 lemon juice
½ tsp salt
½ cup olive oil
½ cup toasted walnuts
Directions
Clean the scapes. Cut the flower off the end and snap the stem where it changes from tender to woody.
Use a food processor to chop the scapes.
Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until easy to spread. Store in the fridge for later use. I’ve also frozen the pesto to use later.
Note: Scape pesto can be a great addition to bring flavor to different dishes. I like to spread it on fresh or toasted bread. I’ve also used it as a marinade for chicken and with pasta or zoodles.
