Roasted Garlic
Garlic’s most potent medicinal qualities are obtained when consumed raw. However, garlic is a key herb in countless cultural recipes. One of our favorite ways to use garlic, besides eating whole cloves while standing in the fields, is to roast the bulbs. Carefully cut off top ¼ inch of the bulb, to expose the cloves. Place in a terracotta or glass baking dish and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkled with dry or fresh herbs. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. The aromas of sweet garlic will fill the kitchen and make your mouth water. Let roasted garlic cool for a moment, then squeeze or scoop out the creamy, paste-like clove onto crackers or French bread. Wow.
GARLIC SCAPE Recipes
Spring’s Gourmet Garlic Delicacy
Scapes, also known as garlic spears, garlic tops, garlic shoots or garlic flowers, are the curly, deliciously tender, mildly pungent flower stalks of hardneck garlic plants.
Garlic scapes are a versatile and nutritious culinary treasure that is valued in Korean, Chinese, Thai, Polynesian, and coastal French cuisine. They add a tender crunchiness if added to salads and soups, and cook well in stir-fries.
Scapes are an extremely seasonal, local treasure, as they are harvested during a narrow 10 day window in late spring. At Sandhill Farms, we harvest Scapes in mid-June and local residents may obtain Scape bunches at Liberty Heights Fresh in Salt Lake City or enjoy them as side dishes at local, artisanal restaurants such as Pago.
Scapes are harvested as soon as they begin to curl to maintain their ideal tenderness.
Here are some suggestions for preparing and enjoying your gourmet Garlic Scapes form Sandhill Farms:
Cooking With Scapes
- Slice and sprinkle over any pasta, or slice and cook them in almost any sauce recipe.
- Great in guacamole and fresh salsa.
- Chop and add to softened cream cheese.
- Add chopped fresh scapes when serving a light garlic soup; you can also add them to buttered French bread floated on the soup.
- Use them as you would green onions - they're just better.
- Good in salads, on bruschetta, and pizza.
- An excellent addition to stocks....and much Asian cuisine.
- Put in Thai chicken/basil/coconut soup.
Unique Seasonal Scape Recipes
Garlic Scape Pesto
This pesto spread is delicious on pizzas or sandwiches. The scapes make a pesto that is a pretty green color and has a rich garlic flavor, but without that hot garlic bite.
1/2 lb. organic scapes (chopped into 1" sections)
1 c. organic olive oil
2 c. grated parmesan cheese.
In a blender, combine the scapes and olive oil.
Pour mixture into bowl and blend the cheese in by hand.
Garlic Scape Hummus Dip
You may omit the spinach or pine nuts if you don't have them, but they are nice touches.
1-2 cups of garlic scapes
1-1 1/2 lemons
1 can chickpeas, drained.
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-2 cups extra virgin olive oil
1-2 teaspoons salt
2-3 cups "tender" greens such as spinach, arugula, or spicy greens mix
2-3 tablespoons sesame tahini
1 cup or more finely grated parmesan or Romano cheese
1 cup pine nuts
Remove tops from 1-2 cups of scapes and reserve as decorations; cut in 2 in. lengths. Process with 1/2 - 1 cup olive oil in food processor for 2-3 min. until finely chopped. Add drained chickpeas.
Add 2-3 tablespoons sesame tahini.
Add juice of 1 - 1 1/2 lemons, seeds removed.
Add 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste. You want it to have an edge, but not to be overtly "Hot." (Note that the sauce will "heat up" as it sits.)
Add 1-2 teaspoons salt - Salt to taste, not too much.
Process until chickpeas are finely ground.
Add 2-3 cups spinach or spicy greens or arugula for more green color and to lighten the hummus.
Process until finely ground and well integrated in sauce.
Add 1 cup finely grated parmesan and a cup or so of pine nuts, ground in for another minute or two. You want the sauce to be smooth for dipping.
Finish by putting dip in a bowl and dribbling fine extra virgin olive oil over it. This dip can also be used as a pasta dressing or over a piece of baked fish.
Roasted Garlic Scapes
Take the scapes and put them in a lightly oiled roasting pan, top with salt (kosher or sea salt works best). Put the loaded and covered pan in a hot (425 °F) oven for 30 to 45 minutes or until they begin to turn brown. Serve as a side or main dish. Tastes like roasted garlic, but creamier.
White Bean and Garlic Scapes Dip
• 1-2 garlic scapes, sliced
• ½ cup kalamata olives, pits removed
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
• 2, 15 oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tbsp good extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
• Salt and pepper
Sautee scapes on low heat until tender (3-5 minutes). In a food processor, process garlic scapes with lemon juice, salt and pepper until finely chopped. Add beans and process to a rough purée. With motor running, slowly drizzle olive oil through feed tube and process until fairly smooth. Pulse in 2 or 3 tablespoons water, or more, until mixture has the consistency of a dip. Feel free to add more lemon juice if desired.
Scapes, also known as garlic spears, garlic tops, garlic shoots or garlic flowers, are the curly, deliciously tender, mildly pungent flower stalks of hardneck garlic plants.
Garlic scapes are a versatile and nutritious culinary treasure that is valued in Korean, Chinese, Thai, Polynesian, and coastal French cuisine. They add a tender crunchiness if added to salads and soups, and cook well in stir-fries.
Scapes are an extremely seasonal, local treasure, as they are harvested during a narrow 10 day window in late spring. At Sandhill Farms, we harvest Scapes in mid-June and local residents may obtain Scape bunches at Liberty Heights Fresh in Salt Lake City or enjoy them as side dishes at local, artisanal restaurants such as Pago.
Scapes are harvested as soon as they begin to curl to maintain their ideal tenderness.
Here are some suggestions for preparing and enjoying your gourmet Garlic Scapes form Sandhill Farms:
Cooking With Scapes
- Slice and sprinkle over any pasta, or slice and cook them in almost any sauce recipe.
- Great in guacamole and fresh salsa.
- Chop and add to softened cream cheese.
- Add chopped fresh scapes when serving a light garlic soup; you can also add them to buttered French bread floated on the soup.
- Use them as you would green onions - they're just better.
- Good in salads, on bruschetta, and pizza.
- An excellent addition to stocks....and much Asian cuisine.
- Put in Thai chicken/basil/coconut soup.
Unique Seasonal Scape Recipes
Garlic Scape Pesto
This pesto spread is delicious on pizzas or sandwiches. The scapes make a pesto that is a pretty green color and has a rich garlic flavor, but without that hot garlic bite.
1/2 lb. organic scapes (chopped into 1" sections)
1 c. organic olive oil
2 c. grated parmesan cheese.
In a blender, combine the scapes and olive oil.
Pour mixture into bowl and blend the cheese in by hand.
Garlic Scape Hummus Dip
You may omit the spinach or pine nuts if you don't have them, but they are nice touches.
1-2 cups of garlic scapes
1-1 1/2 lemons
1 can chickpeas, drained.
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-2 cups extra virgin olive oil
1-2 teaspoons salt
2-3 cups "tender" greens such as spinach, arugula, or spicy greens mix
2-3 tablespoons sesame tahini
1 cup or more finely grated parmesan or Romano cheese
1 cup pine nuts
Remove tops from 1-2 cups of scapes and reserve as decorations; cut in 2 in. lengths. Process with 1/2 - 1 cup olive oil in food processor for 2-3 min. until finely chopped. Add drained chickpeas.
Add 2-3 tablespoons sesame tahini.
Add juice of 1 - 1 1/2 lemons, seeds removed.
Add 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste. You want it to have an edge, but not to be overtly "Hot." (Note that the sauce will "heat up" as it sits.)
Add 1-2 teaspoons salt - Salt to taste, not too much.
Process until chickpeas are finely ground.
Add 2-3 cups spinach or spicy greens or arugula for more green color and to lighten the hummus.
Process until finely ground and well integrated in sauce.
Add 1 cup finely grated parmesan and a cup or so of pine nuts, ground in for another minute or two. You want the sauce to be smooth for dipping.
Finish by putting dip in a bowl and dribbling fine extra virgin olive oil over it. This dip can also be used as a pasta dressing or over a piece of baked fish.
Roasted Garlic Scapes
Take the scapes and put them in a lightly oiled roasting pan, top with salt (kosher or sea salt works best). Put the loaded and covered pan in a hot (425 °F) oven for 30 to 45 minutes or until they begin to turn brown. Serve as a side or main dish. Tastes like roasted garlic, but creamier.
White Bean and Garlic Scapes Dip
• 1-2 garlic scapes, sliced
• ½ cup kalamata olives, pits removed
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
• 2, 15 oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tbsp good extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
• Salt and pepper
Sautee scapes on low heat until tender (3-5 minutes). In a food processor, process garlic scapes with lemon juice, salt and pepper until finely chopped. Add beans and process to a rough purée. With motor running, slowly drizzle olive oil through feed tube and process until fairly smooth. Pulse in 2 or 3 tablespoons water, or more, until mixture has the consistency of a dip. Feel free to add more lemon juice if desired.
