GARLIC SCAPE PESTO

We have fresh Garlic Scapes at our local farmers market - time to make Garlic Scape Pesto - yum!  I have used Garlic Scapes fresh in a salad and stir fries, so I thought it would make a fabulous Pesto - and yes it does!
This is a picture that makes me a very happy girl:
I love this time of year, where I can wonder through the farm market stalls - such vibrant colors and deliciousness abounds.  This pesto was also heavenly on fresh Red French Fingerling Potatoes.
By the way, this recipe made quite a lot of Pesto which we will use through the week on BBQ Burgers, Fish, it will even taste great on a ham and cheese sandwich. A Vegetarian sandwich with cheese, tomato, cucumber, avocado and mayonnaise would be yummy too!  I will do a highlight post of the many ways to use this great tasting pesto.
Our first meal with this Pesto was a simple Marinated Grilled Chicken recipe:
3 large skin on bone in chicken thighs
2 garlic cloves - roughly chopped
2 Tblsp. Tamari Sauce
1 Tblsp. Olive Oil
juice of 1/2 a small lemon
2 Tblsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. fresh Rosemary - roughly chopped
Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl, whisking to incorporate. With a fork, stab the chicken a few times so the marinade can soak into the chicken.  Pour the marinade over the chicken in a zip lock bag - seal and rub the marinade through out the chicken.  Refrigerate and marinade 8-10 hours.  We cooked our chicken on the BBQ, but you could also use a grill pan.
Normally when I make Pesto, I like to use toasted Almonds, but thought I would try toasted Sunflower seeds - they are wonderful!  If you notice, this Pesto is quite thick - good for a stuffing so it does not leak out.
GARLIC SCAPE PESTO:
1 cup of chopped Garlic Scapes (tough middle part discarded)
1/2 cup raw sesame seeds (or sliced almonds are good too) - lightly toasted
3 minced garlic cloves
3/4  cup of chopped fresh Basil
1/4 cup of chopped fresh Flat Leaf Italian Parsley
3/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 cup of Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
salt to taste
Here is a picture of the garlic scapes with the tough middle part removed.
Heat up a skillet on low medium heat, adding in the sunflower seeds.  Toss frequently for about 6 minutes until they begin to get golden.
Then add to a food processor and blitz until about this size: (the aroma is heavenly)
Add in the garlic scapes, minced garlic cloves, basil and parsley blitzing until fine.  Then add in the Parmesan cheese, pulsing to incorporate.  Turn on the food processor and drizzle in the olive oil.  Season with salt to taste, and transfer to a bowl.  Refrigerate until needed to enjoy with your favorite dinners.
This was our dinner - thank you to our Local Farmer's Market! 🙂

Ina Gawne
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8 comments on “GARLIC SCAPE PESTO”

  1. Oh, Ina, I am so very jealous! I tried garlic scapes for the first time this year and fell head over heels in love with them. No kidding! I just sauteed mine in olive oil with some onion and salt if I recall correctly. My plan was to makes some pesto with them, too, but I'd only purchased one bag at our farmer's market and by the following weekend, the garlic pesto was gone. 🙁 Next year I will buy ALL that are available from my favorite vendor there. Your pesto looks amazing! One of my readers told me that you can grown your own garlic scapes all year long inside in a pot if you use a few garlic cloves. I'm intrigued!
    Great recipe--thanks, dear!
    Shirley

    1. Shirley - aren't garlic scapes wonderful? We love them too! I too am intrigued at the thought of growing them in pots...something I will check out. Thanks for the tip! 🙂

  2. Ina, your garlic scape pesto sounds divine! I can't wait to try it, but I've never seen garlic scapes sold where I am...maybe I'll have to grow my own. 🙂

    1. Thanks Erin! Shirley mentioned growing it in pots? Something I must look into. I have never seen garlic scapes sold in the grocery stores either, I have only seen them at Farmer's Markets....a delicious fresh produce! 🙂

  3. I'm growing soft-garlic so I don't have the scapes, but I know who does and they are likely willing to do a trade for a jar of jam. Great and unique recipe, can't wait to try it on pasta, maybe fresh tagatelle, with a couple shrimp tossed in.

    1. Tom - that would be delicious! I think pasta was the only meal we did not try this pesto on - it is really tasty in so many recipes! 🙂

  4. Waw! What lovely recipes! We can't get a lot garlic scapes over here so I will try & grow tham myself! I love garlic scape pesto a lot & yours looks so appetizing too! 🙂

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