Garlic Scape Scramble
June 14, 2009 § 4 Comments
Even though it’s been drizzly and dreary since I arrived in New York City, the markets show that Spring is at our doorsteps! With crates and crates of fresh strawberries and long purple and green spears of asparagus, people from all over my Brooklyn neighborhood piled underneath the canopy of white tents by the park yesterday to stock up their counter tops and refrigerators with a fresh bounty.
If I had to choose a Spring vegetable favorite, I’d have to tip my hat to the unsuspecting garlic scape.
What the heck is a garlic scape, you may ask? I had no idea until I yanked them off a few thousand bulbs last summer. A garlic scape is a long, spindly-looking, stem-like growth that shoots out the top of the garlic and forms big curly-q. If you let it stay on the garlic, it’ll eventually flower. Once the garlic scape comes up, you have a limited time to snap it off. Once snapped, more energy will be sent into the blubs in the final two weeks of growth so they’ll grow a little bigger. Plus, you can use these scapes in a whole slew of different meals. Here’s what they look like:
I cut off the really skinny parts and discard them. But I slice the thicker parts, toss them in olive oil, and roast them. The flavor is slightly milder than a garlic bulb, but it still has delicious garlic flavor and makes an incredible topping on salads and stirfries. Today, garlic scapes and asparagus were the stars of my egg scramble, fancied-up with a small bundle of basil and cilantro. It was fabulous and I can’t wait for supper tonight! It’s gonna be a repeat!
Ingredients (for one):
2 eggs
2 baby onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 spears asparagus
6 garlic scapes
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup basil, chopped
parmesan cheese, for topping
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Methods:
1. Preheat oven to broil. Slice asparagus and scapes into 1/2 inch pieces. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Broil 5 minutes until bright green and al dente.
2. Meanwhile, prepare other vegetables: Chop baby onions, cilantro and basil. Whip the egg(s) in a separate bowl. Grate Parmesan cheese and set aside.
3. Saute onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute an additional minute, until fragrant. Add roasted asparagus and garlic scapes and toss.
4. Add whipped egg to the mixture and cook until set or scrambled. Remove from heat and stir in herbs. Top with Parmesan cheese.
Diet Notes: SCD-safe, gluten-free, nut-free
My family joined a CSA for the first time this year and have had three weeks of amazing foods. The last two weeks included garlic scapes, which I had never even heard of before now. The farmers are wonderful and put together a very informative weekly newsletter, complete with receipes and suggestions. I’ve been using the garlic scapes on my salad, but am now excited to try roasting them!
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