Talk about making lemonade! It is so cool to learn that scapes, which were thrown away by farmers at first, have become a special anticipated spring treat. It is similar to the large Portobello mushrooms; because small mushrooms were desired, the large ones we now see in grocery stores were discarded and went home with the farm hands. So often, there is value in what we throw away.
Garlic is a great crop. It takes about 9 months to grow and it’s this year's baby for me! I put the garlic in the ground the middle of October. As it grew, I read about garlic over the winter. I thought the bulb was the only crop from garlic, but it turns out that garlic can produce green garlic, garlic scapes, fresh garlic and dried garlic (what we see in the grocery stores.) As with lots of produce, what we see in the grocery stores is focused on how long it can stay on the shelf without perishing.
Green garlic is the leaves that sprout first. As they grow, the bulb collects energy from them. Somewhere, someone decided to cut it and cook it, this is green garlic. It will continue to regrow until the bulb is spent.
Garlic scapes are the flower stalk on hardneck varieties of garlic. The stalk grows up straight between the leaves. Once the stalk begins to curl, it is ready to cut. The scape will curl; sometimes it will curl several times, and then straighten again. We cut the stalk to stop the bulb from feeding the flower. It signals to the plant that this flower thing isn’t working out, so the plant needs to store up energy for a try next year. So, the bulb becomes bigger.
The garlic should be ready to come out of the ground in July.
I had so much fun cutting scapes today, feeling the textural differences of the scape in different stages. You will notice that the smaller ones are more tender; the larger ones can get a little woody. I think I caught them before they were tough, however. Scapes are fairly juicy really, more so than chives.
Hopefully, you got enough garlic scapes to make at least one meal. Maybe the recipe below. I kind of wanted to include this recipe in the newsletter, because it is really good!
Garlic Scape Carbonara
serves 4
This pasta is fantastic as a meal served with a big garden salad and some crusty bread. If desired, add a half-cup of fresh, lightly cooked, chopped pea pods to the mix for a little added nutrition (and sweetness).
1/2 lb campanella pasta, or shape of your choosing
4 slices prosciutto ham or bacon (about 3 ounces), chopped
1/4 cup garlic scapes, cut into 1/4 inch coins
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
Set a pot of water to boiling on the stove and cook the campanella pasta (or desired shape).
While it’s cooking, cook the ham over medium heat until crispy. Remove the proscuitto pieces with a slotted spoon and add the garlic scapes. Cook until soft (2-3 minutes). Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. (Drain both the ham and the garlic scapes on a paper towel).
Whisk together the eggs, salt and red pepper flakes.
When the pasta is done, quickly remove it from the stove and set a different burner to low heat. Drain the pasta and add it back to the pot, on the burner set to low. Stir in the garlic scapes and bacon. Add the egg mixture and stir feverishly for 3-4 minutes until sauce is thick and creamy. Don’t let it overcook or it will be gloppy. Sprinkle the Romano cheese in, a little at a time, and stir to combine. Don’t add it all at once or it won’t mix through out the pasta as well (since it will clump).
Serve immediately.
Thyme Square
I just got done looking at Thyme Square's website. The menu is there as well as some great information about them owners, chef and the restaurant in general. I am looking forward to lunch there today!
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