Garlic scapes have long been a favourite ingredient of chefs. To be honest, it was a bit of an inside secret amongst some chefs that I know, often keeping them for their own use. Its too bad really, since they are an amazing ingredient that have a wonderful garlic taste with the added bonus of having the bright herbiness of something akin to parsley.
I have three videos again this week. The first two are connected, and I will be going back to the 3rd through the winter.
I begin with pita and tortilla chips that I season with a garlic scape infused oil. These are a simple snack that you can make, and one that is really easy to modify and make to suit your tastes. There is not too much to these, Brush your favourite tortilla or pita with a flavoured oil, slice into chips, and bake for 6-8 minutes at 400F.
The hummus is another great snack to have around the house. Its made with chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, which are packed with protein. In this variation, I substitute the traditional garlic gloves with garlic scapes which is a nice little twist. The recipe for this is as follows:
1 can (19fl.oz) Chickpeas
1 lemon, whole
10-15 garlic scapes
4tbsp (0.25 cup) tahini paste
2tbsp olive oil
0.5tsp cumin
Salt to taste
Water as needed
Add your garlic scapes, tahini, olive oil, cumin, and about a tsp of salt into the food processor. Top with your well drained chickpeas.12. How are those pita chips doing?13. Turn your food processor on high, using your rubber spatula to scrap down the sides as needed. Once it has been blended smooth, you can adjust your salt and add water to adjust the consistency.
Our final recipe of the week, is once again a twist on a traditional recipe, and is something that you can make ahead to use all winter long. Pesto is a great sauce that is typically made from garlic, basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. In my version I use garlic scapes and pecans as substitutes.
To make this simply add roughly the same amount of each of the ingredients into your food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust to your tastes.