A scape is a stem or shoot that emerges from the ground, often from the bulb or main stem of the plant. This shoot doesn’t support leaves, but usually just a single flower. And when it comes to wild garlic, the scapes are highly coveted; delicious, tender, pungent and full of flavor, and pretty much a must-have ingredient when they’re in season.
You can use scapes in lieu of garlic in many of your recipes, but they really shine where garlic comes up a little short; scapes are visually appealing, a bright, vibrant green, and have a sort of exotic, wild and wooly look to them. Blitzed into a pesto, they enliven it with unmistakable colour and flavour, perfect tossed with pasta or slathered on grilled chicken. Scapes are awesome in a marinade for lamb, chicken or pork and lightly grilled they add a wow factor to almost any summer plate. Chop them up and they’re great in a stir-fry or added to a frittata or omelette, or place a few on your pizza right before popping it in the oven. Try chopping a little into your next egg salad, or using it as a garnish for devilled eggs. And blitzed and made into a compound butter, your garlic bread will never be the same.
We here at Fiesta are bullish on locally grown produce, and in particular, Ontario garlic. If you haven’t tried Ontario garlic scapes yet, come into our store tomorrow, Saturday, July 8, between 1 and 4 p.m. Located just north of Stratford Ontario, August’s Harvest has been growing varieties of garlic and scapes for thirty years, so they’ve pretty much got it down. Known as “Ontario’s Garlic Grower,” they will be showcasing their garlic scape pesto, offering tastings and sharing ideas for recipes that will open up a whole new world of fresh and slightly wild ideas for your summer feasting. See you there!
Garlic scape pesto