Garlic Scape Pesto

This is truly one of the best - and most lingering - parts of summer.  

Garlic Scapes - the very name sounds curly, slightly spicy, fresh, green, delightfully unexpected.

Garlic and its relatives in the allium family, (leeks, chives, onions) grow underground, where the bulb begins its journey.  As the bulb gets harder (and more like the garlic we know), a shoot pokes its way through the ground.  Vibrantly green, the shoot is long, thin and grows in gorgeous curling tendrils, waving like festive banners in the breeze.  It's called the scape.

If left unattended, the scape will harden and transform from green to the familiar opaque white/beige color of garlic peel. Keeping the shoot attached will also curtail further growth of the bulb. So, in order to allow the garlic to keep growing, the farmer is also harvesting this edible delectable that cooks are just beginning to re-discover.

Garlic Scape Pesto

1 C. chopped garlic scapes
1/3 C. walnuts
1/3 C. olive oil

1/2 C. shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp salt

pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in food processor except oil.

Puree, than add oil in a thin stream until well combined.

Savor.

I might have a little too much fun with those quirky, spiraling figures...

Wash.

Chop.

Blend.

I have a love/hate relationship with the Cuisinart.  It's the perfect tool for whipping up something like pesto.  But the engineering is very poor - in my opinion.  It will not run unless the two-pieced lid is screwed on, which seems reasonable - until you take a look at the size of the lid opening.  You would practically need to feed each scape in one at a time lengthwise through that miniscule hole.  So I end up laboriously twisting the lid on-and-off, off-and-on, on-and-off as I add ingredients.  Very tiresome...=)

Sample.

If you're looking for some inspiration for cooking with this fabulous condiment, here are just a handful of dishes we've made with GS Pesto:

*----Simply blend with sour cream for a dipping sensation!
*----Top a homemade pizza crust with pesto, shredded chicken (free-range homegrown!), pineapple, fresh basil, and mozzarella cheese. Then count the seconds before it disappears.  I think it might be safer if you make three.  Or four.
*----Add to just about any pasta dish for a lovely fresh twist
*----Spread on buttered toast for garlic pesto bread
*----And the best part - be sure to put up as much as you can in the freezer for the year until next harvest!  I put up about fifty pints in freezer ziplocs.  We'll see how long it lasts...