Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Garlic Scapes are IN!

I waited for a year to post this. No, I am not kidding. Last year, I had garlic scapes from the farmer's market, and fresh peas and bak choi harvested from my back yard. It was one of those nights that I had no clue what I was going to cook. I had cooked rice in the fridge so I decided to make a stir-fried rice.
It is simple to make - heat up some veg oil, cook cut-up garlic scapes, shrimp pieces, and bak choi. Add cold cooked rice, add peas, mix them well, cook until rice is hot and season well with salt and pepper. Serve. The photo is from June 10, 2008!

Sometimes I surprise myself with simple yet so delicious food and this was one of those. Looking at the photo, I might have had a couple more ingredients than I remember including left-over leek (I do use green part of leek. I don't understand why people are using only the white part of leek. The green part is as delicious, especially great either stir-fried or fried, and awesome in making a stock).

I think garlic scapes taste best cooked in oil to draw out its mild garlicky flavor, but Dan and I have been using them everywhere this year.
  • Soy dipping sauce: mix soy sauce, sesame oil and finely chopped garlic scapes. Sprinkle sesame seeds. This sauce is so versatile - use anywhere you want.
  • Asparagus, pea, shrimp, scallop soup: we made a Thai style soup and threw in some garlic scapes.
  • Korean Seafood pancake: Along with garlic chives and scallion, garlic scapes were added!
  • Home-made gravax, chevre, finely minced garlic scapes on a toasted bagel.
  • Stir-fried kale: yep, added garlic scapes again.
  • Flank steak rolled with goat-cheese and garlic scapes

Garlic scapes are great grilled too. I will leave you with this awesome article that I found. Let me know what you are cooking with garlic scapes.

Yeon

5 comments:

Chelsea said...

They are sooooo good, aren't they?

I have a recipe coming up that I made using some from my little garlic patch. It will post soon.

That rice looks really, really good - a little too good for 8:30am...

smoo said...

This looks so delicious!

I love scapes because they also keep really well- about a month in the fridge. I usually marinate them in something with a little oil and then grill them, serving them whole; people are mad for them. They are so tender and delicious.

truffles said...

I, too, love me some garlic scapes. DELICIOUS!!!! I ate some last night.

Yeon said...

Chelsea: I know - can't have enough garlic scapes. I want to try several Korean recipes (yes, I grew up eating garlic scapes every spring) but I don't know if I would have time... Instead of trying recipes myself, I will just wait for your posting!

Smoo: You are absolutely right. Garlic scapes keep green and firm for several weeks! Hoping to have your grilled garlic scapes on July 4th!!

Truffle: I guess it is no secret that garlic scapes are DELICIOUS! How did you cook them?

smoo said...

Dorie Greenspan has a recipe for garlic scape pesto up here: http://www.doriegreenspan.com/2009/06/i-seem-to-be-on.html. I have her Baking with Julia Book and it's superb. Greenspan is also an avid farmer's market shopper so her site is a good one to bookmark.