Focus Ingredient: Garlic Scapes

Jun 25, 2011 by The Bald Gourmet    No Comments    Posted under: Focus Ingredients, Vegetables

Garlic Scapes

What in the heck are garlic scapes?  What in the world do you with them?

Garlic scapes are the flower stalk of a maturing garlic plant.  The scape grows in cool corkscrew shapes, and are a lot of fun in the kitchen.

Unfortunately, you’ll likely never find them at your local grocer.  You can sometimes find garlic scapes for sale in farmers markets, but the best place to get them is out of your own garden.  Read my post, How to Plant and Grow Garlic for more information on how to do that.

Garlic Scape Soon to Bloom

Can I Eat Garlic Scapes and Blooms?

YES!  They are absolutely delicious, and are best when young before the bloom opens.  They have a sweet and mild garlic flavor, and have a texture much like Chinese long beans and asparagus.  The subtle garlic flavor and terrific texture work nicely in:

• soups
• risottos
• pasta dishes
• salads
• egg dishes
• on a sandwich

They can be eaten raw or cooked in dishes like Orange Spinach with Garlic Scapes and Chinese Sausage.  So keep an eye out for them at your local farmers market in late June/early July, or better yet, start your own gourmet garden and harvest them yourself!

I love hearing from my readers, so please go ahead and leave a comment!