garlic scapes in oil, a triptych

From Nikki Gardner — Blog by Nikki Gardner

July 3, 2009

Tender garlic scapes tossed with baby greens, floated into soup, or ground as pesto are a garlic lover’s fantasy. I prefer mine paired with olive oil: pesto, vinaigrette, and flavored oil.

Garlic scapes are the curlicued flower stems that shoot up from garlic’s parchment wrapped bulb. They belong to the bulb sprouting allium family, along with chives, leeks, and onions.

Scapes are airy like bright colored balloons rootless in a whisper blue sky. Mild. Green. Distant. They float, wander, and return. A round, quiet heat.

My first dinner with garlic scapes was memorable: fusilli pasta tossed with scape pesto and topped with garlic oil sauteed zucchini half-moons and cherry tomatoes. The green stems left a subtle fragrant impression. When paired with oil, I may even prefer them to their spicier papered roots. Let’s see what you think...

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