With the blooming of the trees and the daytime temp finally creeping into the 70s (and 80s!), it’s official, spring is here! After a long and harsh winter here in Massachusetts, most people I know are ready to put it behind us. In Chinese Medicine, spring is the time of year of growth and renewal. You just have to look around to see it: flowers bursting forth, trees leafing out, birds building nests, longer days, and a noticeable spring in your step!
I love spring because to me it signals the arrival of my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share. I started the program two years ago, and love the exposure to vegetables and fruits I wouldn’t normally buy. This year I am excited to receive a share through Waltham Fields Community Farms. It’s still not too late to get your own farm share.
One of my favorite springtime share additions is garlic scapes. Garlic scapes are the flower stalks of garlics plants that have been trimmed off to encourage larger bulb growth.Having a mild garlic flavor, they can be added to any dish as garlic would normally be used. My favorite is to make garlic scape pesto, which can be added to a vegetable stir fry, pasta, or used as a delicious sandwich spread. Simple and delicious, garlic scapes means spring to me!
Garlic Scape Pesto
- 1 cup garlic scapes (chop into smallish pieces to aid measurement)
- 1/3 cup of your favorite nut (pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, pumpkins seeds)1/2 cup olive oil (or more if needed)
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (sometimes I use feta which is also delicious!)
- Salt/Pepper to taste (watch the salt as the cheeses are already pretty salty)
Put scapes and nuts in food processor and pulse to a smooth paste. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until combined. Remove to a bowl and mix cheese, salt, and pepper to taste. This mixture will keep in the refrigerator for up a week, but it won’t last that long because it’s so delicious.
Modifications
If you don’t have enough garlic scapes try adding some of the following instead:
- arugula
- basil
- cilantro
- spinach
It makes for a less intense garlic flavor but still delicious!
Enjoy this taste of spring!