Garlic Scape Pesto

It is scape season again!! When we moved last year, I had no garden to speak of at the new house to plant my garlic (nor the time to make one with all the renovations) I had a mild panic attack!! NO GARLIC???? How would I survive?? Alright, I may be over exaggerating just a bit, but I did have to get creative and carve out a small spot of my front garden bed late in the fall to get it in the ground. I managed to get over 100 heads of garlic planted in a very tiny spot. Crisis averted! We will not be without garlic this year, or scapes!!
I harvested all of the scapes last week, and have been trying to eek out some time to get them used up. (they do store quite well in the fridge...in an airtight container you'll get at the very least a few weeks out of them!)

After work today, I had some time and lots of ambition (keto Popsicles, BBQ chicken, this pesto, and a big batch of scape and basil compound butter ) This pesto recipe, I am embarrassed to say,  has been sitting in my drafts for a year folks...a year!!! Note the date on the little jar of pesto below...2017!!!!!! This tells you how busy my last year has been!!! )  The garlic itself looks almost ready to pull as well. This southern Ontario heat wave has certainly helped!

the garlic corner by our front step!

So, if you can find some scapes, make up a batch of this pesto! It really is delicious!

Garlic Scape Pesto

30 ish garlic scapes (you want about a cup of chopped scapes. 

½ cup roughly chopped basil

1 cup walnuts

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

¾ tsp sea salt

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

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½ cup avocado oil (alternatively use EVOO)

In bowl of food processor, pulse scapes until finely chopped. Add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT for the oil. Pulse a few times and then run until all ingredients are chopped and combined into a thick paste. Slowly drizzle in the oil until everything is emulsified and somewhat smooth.

Use as desired right away or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Alternatively, freeze in small mason jars to enjoy at a later time.

delicious on grilled zucchini!

Garlic Scape Lemon Compound Butter

I love garlic scapes. They are the yummy precursor to the lovely garlic that gets harvested towards the end of summer in my garden.,,,kind of like a bonus harvest on a garden staple, fleeting but delicious! Many farmers markets and stands sell them if you don't grow your own garlic so be sure to look for them from mid June to early July.
I do tend to stick to my favourite recipes with scapes, (like pesto, and this recipe below for compound butter) but they are very versatile and can be used for many different recipes if you are creative! (do a pinterest search...they are used in absolutely  EVERYTHING!!! ) I chopped a bunch this year in my food processor and froze them in an ice cube tray so that we can hopefully enjoy the harvest for way longer than we usually do. (see pics below!!)

This compound butter can be used for a multitude of things, from buttering my grain free baguettes, to topping baked potatoes, to searing a cast iron cooked steak. It's lovely vibrant green colour and garlicky bite  transform a multitude of foods to a completely different level of flavour.

Try this recipe before the scapes are gone again for the season!!

Garlic Scape and Lemon Compound Butter

Approx 8-10 garlic scapes, roughly chopped (you want to end up with about 1/ 2 cup when finely chopped)

¾ cup butter cut into 6 chunks (mine was not quite room temp but not cold either!)

Zest of 1 lemon (ALWAYS organic!!)

Juice of 1 lemon

S&P to taste (if butter is salted, as mine often is... add less salt!!)

Pulse garlic scapes in food processor until finely chopped.  (shown with LOTS of scapes, I scooped out a bunch to be left with 1/2 cup)

With machine running, add butter 1 chunk at a time until smooth and incorporated. 

Stop the processor, add the lemon juice, zest, s&p, and turn back on until incorporated, stopping to scrape down sides as needed 

Scrape out of processor and shape into log on plastic wrap. (shown on waxed paper, but plastic wrap works best)

Refrigerate until firm and slice as needed. For storage longer than 5 days, keep in freezer.

Shown on my  grain free baguette :)

chopped and prepped for freezer

covered ice cube tray is perfect for freezing :)