Foodie: Garlic Scapes are Perfect for Pesto

PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK

Spotted at the Be.Wild.er Farm booth at Bloomfield Farmers Market recently: tangles of curly green stalks.

The curls are the giveaway for the garlic scape, one of early summer’s most fleeting ingredients. Scapes are the flowering stalks that shoot up from hardneck garlic plants in late spring, typically from mid-May through late June.

Farmers snap or cut them off once they curl into one or two loops. This redirects energy back into the bulb, often increasing the garlic yield by 20 to 30%. The flavor is garlicky but gentler and greener, with a faint sweetness that softens its edge.

In texture, think somewhere between asparagus and a scallion — firm enough to grill or sauté, tender enough to blend raw. The farmers’ market window to grab them is short. Once summer heat arrives and the bulbs are pulled, scapes are gone until next year.

The classic preparation is for pesto.

PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

Recipe: Garlic Scape Pesto

A bright, seasonal alternative to basil pesto — milder than raw garlic, with a fresh green bite. Toss with pasta, spread on bread or spoon over grilled vegetables. Serves 4.

• 8 garlic scapes, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup Parmigiana Reggiano, finely grated
• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Blend the base: Add garlic scapes and fresh lemon juice to a food processor. Pulse until the scapes are finely chopped, scraping down the sides as needed.

Add cheese and nuts: Add Parmigiana Reggiano and toasted pine nuts. Pulse several more times until the mixture is coarse and combined.

Stream in the oil: With the processor running, slowly stream in extra-virgin olive oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency — slightly textured is ideal.

Season and taste: Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust lemon or salt as needed. The pesto should be bright and garlicky without any single element overwhelming the others.

Store or serve: Use immediately, or transfer to a jar and top with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent browning. Refrigerates well for up to a week; freezes for several months. For a looser pesto suited to drizzling, add a splash more oil. Scapes vary in intensity depending on how mature they were at harvest. Taste as you go.