Well, I guess garlic scapes it is
- Scott Daniels: We Ate Well and Cheaply
- June 18, 2023
- 658
Some time ago I wrote with some embarrassment about not having heard of edamame before, something that has been sitting in the freezer case of grocery stores for ages but that I missed until a friend ordered it at a restaurant.
Now it’s a staple snack at our house, much better than chips and healthier as a bonus. Still, to not know what edamame was sort of casts imposter doubt on my food writer credentials.
I’m in the same boat again. Have you ever had the experience of never hearing of something in all your life and then it appears and you start hearing it all over the place? That happened to me last week when my wife texted from work.
“Do you have any use for garlic scapes? We’re getting more from area farms than we can use.”
“Scrapes? What are scrapes?” I thought. This is why I prefer texting to phone calls. I was not in the spot of having to stumble and admit I had no idea what she was talking about. I could pause while a Google rabbit hole opened before me, waiting to make me feel dumb.
Then at the Tuscarawas Valley Farmers Market’s opening day, suddenly there were garlic scapes at every vegetable vendor’s stall, at prices affirming their abundance. The capper came when I started getting recipes using garlic scapes in everything from foodie emails to Instagram, out of the blue.
Well, I guess garlic scapes it is. Time for a deep dive. By now you’ve correctly guessed my lack of experience in farming, though I have grown garlic.
First, we have to talk about the two varieties of garlic commonly available: softneck and hardneck. The former is the one we usually see in grocery stores. It has a long shelf life and milder flavor.
Hardneck garlic sprouts long, tender leaves from the top of the bulb, and this leaf, along with the bud, which curls into something resembling a curly green bean, is the scape. It’s one of those things that can be used in an almost infinite variety of ways, and I’m stunned and humbled that I was unaware of it until a week ago. The hardneck variety is hardy through cold winters while softneck garlic does better where the hot summers are followed by mild winters.
Garlic scapes are harvested about this time of year for the benefit of the actual garlic later. If left in place, the plant will pour all its energy into the leaves, resulting in small bulbs later in the year when you’re looking for a good garlic harvest.
The scapes are only available at this time of year and generally only at farmers markets and specialty stores. Once they’re out of season, they’re gone until next June and July. They store well in your refrigerator vegetable drawer for a couple of weeks.
The scapes have an onion-like flavor akin to a slightly garlicky, fresh green scallion or chives. They can be pickled or chopped and used in any recipe in which you would use garlic. They can be added to a milder pesto, stirred into sauces, or add fresh punch and color to garlic bread.
Not expecting to find them at the farmers market, I didn’t get any, something I will correct this week now that I know what they are and what to do with them.
It’s something I love about food and cooking; there is always something new to learn and discover, then to try and experiment with and add to your regular arsenal of ingredients or techniques. Cooking, coupled with a good dose of curiosity, can keep us learning throughout our lives.
But wow. I should have been aware of those scapes.