Sauteed Garlic Scapes

Garlic scapes are the treasure of every garlic lover. These coveted gems are a new and cherished delicacy in our household. Easy to make, and packed full of the most perfectly mild yet rich garlic flavor you will ever taste. I can’t say enough about this new find in my flavor world!

This is a guest post written for the fabulous ladies at Simple Goodness Farm. Thank you Venise and Belinda for the opportunity to share in the garlicy fun! Among their many talents, growing garlic on a large-scale is a big part of their lives.  I liked growing garlic before I met them. But now I loooooove growing garlic. I’ve learned so much. If you enjoy reading about permaculture, homesteading, and small town life, check these girls out. They are great!

Our story begins at the local watering hole, where I met Venise about a year ago through our mutual friends, the Stouts. We started gabbing about our love for gardening, and then writing, which was about the time we discovered we both had blogs! I was thrilled! This was my first time meeting a fellow blogger in the flesh! A tangible, real, live person! Yay!! Of course we hit it off, finding many things in common, especially garlic.

For planting on a larger scale, check out their post: Planting Garlic

Fall rolls around and their farm became a warehouse chalked full of delicious varieties both for planting and cooking. Naturally when they opened the operation to the public, guess who was there? I purchased several varieties for planting and cooking. When I came home here’s what I did: Go Garlic Grow!

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and you would find us at the Stouts for an impromptu crab boil. They just returned from their trip with their limit which they certainly could not eat without a little help from friends. So they called up everyone they knew and pretty much insisted we change our dinner plans….

Are you going to say no to that?? Me neither!! So we headed over with half the town. Lo and behold, Venise, husband Ross, and their adorable daughter Deyton show up with a bag full of greens I could not identify. When I asked, they said they were garlic scapes.

What is a garlic scape? Essentially it’s the flower and stem from the hardneck varieties of garlic.

What do you do with them? Once the flower is broken off, you can saute the stem as an amazing summer side dish. It texture is similar to asparagus with a flavor that is sweet and garlicy but not overpowering.

For more information check out their post: Growing Garlic: Cutting Scapes.

Where can I get these wonderful scapes? Sigh, here’s the bad-ish news: I’ve never seen them sold at stores or produce markets. That doesn’t mean they aren’t… I would guess if you were going to look, perhaps your local farmers market may have them around this time of year. For me, the only way I know to get scapes is to grown hardneck garlic. And why not? Garlic is awesome and if you’re like me, you use it All. The. Time.

Here’s a few reasons why you should be growing garlic if you aren’t already:

1. It’s easy! Garlic is one of the easiest plants to grow! Seriously, you can go to the store, buy a head, break off the cloves and stick them in the ground, they’ll grow. However, most of what is sold at the store are softneck varieties and will not yeild scapes. You’ll need to purchase those from a grower. But they’re cheap and easy to access if you do a little internet searching.
2. Minimal care: When I say minimal care, I mean, like, no care! You don’t have to water, fertilize, or worry about pests, disease, etc. They are super hardy. Less is more when dealing with garlic.
3. Great in small spaces: Garlic can be planted with as little spacing as 4 inches between cloves. You can pack a ton in a small space.
4. They let you know when they are ready for harvest: Once the leaves are mostly brown (usually around late July/August) gently pull them out of the ground! Ta da! Garlic.
5. Garlic stays fresh of a long time: Dry out the stalks, braid them, and they will keep for months! And they make pretty kitchen decor too!

So why not grow some this fall? You won’t regret it!

Sheesh I had a lot to say and I haven’t even gotten to the recipe!! LOL. I just love garlic! OK enough blabbing, here we go:

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen garlic scapes
• 1/3 stick butter

Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 3

Instructions:

In a large frying pan or skillet melt butter. (I just used the same pan I had already sautéed onions and garlic in, hence the little flecks of stuff….flavor stuff!)

Remove flower from scape. Simply bend sharply at the base of the flower and it will snap right off.

I like to cut them in half since they’re so long.

Place in pan and saute for 15-20 minutes tossing every 4-5 minutes.

Set on paper towels to remove excess oil and serve hot.

Watermelon Salad

Watermelon, mint, feta, and cucumber make a fresh and delightful summer side dish. Best of all: It takes only 10 minutes to put together and it’s cheap to make! Perfect if you’re invited to an impromptu barbecue or picnic. Your friends and family will be very impressed with your flavor prowess. Essentially it’s very similar to my Greek Salad with a few swaps: watermelon instead of tomato, mint instead of onion and garlic, balsamic vinaigrette instead of red wine. The feta and mint superbly enhance the flavor and balance the sweetness of the watermelon in a way that will make this one of your go to summer salads!!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 large seedless watermelon
• 1 cucumber
• 2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 bunch of fresh mint
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette – I recommend Lighthouse brand

Time: 10 minutes, allow 30 minutes to chill if watermelon is at room temp.

Servings: 6

Instructions:

Chop watermelon into bite-size pieces.

Slice cucumber into rounds and then halves.

Slice mint into thin strips.

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl

Chill for 30 minutes and serve.

 

Sweet Cherry Tomato Bruschetta

Simple, easy, delicious bruschetta. Made with cherry tomatoes makes it even sweeter. I can’t wait to make this with fresh tomatoes from my garden!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 cup chopped basil
• 1/4 cup finely sliced onion, yellow or red
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• a dash of salt and pepper

Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4

Instructions

Put all ingredients together and toss.

Serve with pita chips, salami, pepperoni, over lettuce, or with mozzarella fresca.

 

Pan Seared Broccoli

I don’t like broccoli… or at least I didn’t until I had it this way! Now I’m really excited about having broccoli with dinner! I’ve always wanted to like it since it’s green and good for you but I could never get into the bitterness of it. For Bestie’s b-day we went to a new local pub that opened a block from her home in West Seattle. One of our friends ordered this (which I never would) but when it came, it reeked of garlic and looked just tantalizing…. so I tried one, then another, then another! Swoon! I made a point of taking a picture of the description in the menu with full intent on figuring this out at home. It didn’t take long, in fact, it’s stupid easy to make!

Ingredients:

• 1 head of broccoli
• Lemon Juice
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Red pepper flakes
• Olive oil
• Garlic powder
• Salt

Sorry, no measurements this time. Be brave, you can do it!

Instructions

Chop broccoli into little bite-size florets

Coarsely chop garlic

In a large sauce pan, add olive oil so it just barely coats the bottom of the pan (about 3 tbsp).

Turn on heat to medium/medium highish.

Once the oil is hot, at broccoli, garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a sprinkling of garlic powder, and a dash of salt.

Drizzle lemon juice over everything – I usually do a few circular passes around the pan.

Now here’s the important part – cover and don’t touch for 2 minutes!! You want to partially blacken the broccoli.

Toss, cover, and don’t touch for another 2 minutes.

One more toss and cover if it looks like it needs it.

Voila! Pan seared broccoli! A perfect side dish for any occasion!

Greek Salad

Fresh, crisp, and full of flavor! Seriously the Greeks really had the best flavors to play with. I like to serve it with pita chips and humus for an appetizer, in a gyro, or straight up as a side salad. And it goes with everything! Steak, chicken, fish, you name it, this leafy green free salad compliments many meals. I especially love making this in the summer when I have most of the ingredients in my garden. There is nothing quite so wonderful!

 

Ingredients:

• 6 roma tomatoes
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 cucumber
• 1/2 cup feta
• 1 garlic clove
• red wine vinaigrette – Lighthouse makes a great one…. I’m obsessed with Lighthouse dressings.

Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 6

Instructions:

Well essentially, it’s chop, add cheese and dressing, done…. but I’m a little more particular about how I prepare it. You have to chop and cut correctly, otherwise you may end up with too much or too little of these scrumptious flavors.

First, quarter and seed your tomatoes. You don’t need all that extra moisture.

Then cut once lengthwise and several times across for perfect bite-size pieces.

As for the onion, I recommend thin slices, like for a sandwich. Then chop into slivers.

  

The cucumber can be however you like. I slice rounds and then cut them into quarters.

Dice your garlic

Add the cheese and dressing

Toss and chill

Tzatziki Sauce

A fantastic Greek yogurt dip that I can never remember how to spell!!

Tzatziki is the Greek answer to ranch dressing. I have loved ranch dressing since I was a teen. But lately, it hasn’t been “doing it” for me like it used to. Seriously, I  put it on and in everything! Salads, fries, chips, veggies, pasta sauces, sandwiches, pretty much anything that isn’t sweet. So what’s a girl to do when her one true saucy love gets old? Find it’s foreign twin!

Try it! It’s easy to make and it’s bright tangy flavor never dissapoints. I love dipping pita chips, veggies, and sweet potato fries in it. I’ve also used it as a substitute for mayo in sandwiches, delish!!

Did I mention it has less calories??

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shredded seedless cucumber (about 1 medium cucumber)
• 2 cups plain nonfat greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp dill
• 2 garlic cloves diced
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Seed and shred cucumber. I use my handheld cheese shredder for perfect sized shreds.
2. Press out as much liquid as you can out of the cucumber shreds. I like to used a wire colander and press down hard into shreds over the sink. You can also press out the liquid onto paper towels. This step is really important! Cucumber holds a ton of water and it will make a very watery sauce if you don’t really wring out the cucumber. 
3. In a blow mix cucumber shreds and all other ingredients.
4. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Zucchini Pizza Bites

Got a lot of zucchini? Here’s one way to make them disappear a little quicker! Seriously, these are so tasty! If you’re on your own, they make a great lunch! If you’ve got a family to feed, turn a couple zucchini into these as a dinner side and watch them disappear! Here’s how I make mine:

Ingredients:

• 1 zucchini
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• pizza sauce (or spaghetti sauce)
• Choose 1: salami, pepperoni, prosciutto, sausage, or whatever meat you like on pizza
• mozzarella – fresca or shredded
• garlic salt
• Italian seasonings

Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 2

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice zucchini into rounds about 1/4 inch thick.

In a small bowl, whisk 1 egg.

In another small bowl sprinkle a layer of bread crumbs.

Dip just the bottom each round in the egg then breading.

Place each round on a greased cookie sheet

Add pizza sauce, then meat, then cheese

Sprinkle with Italian seasonings and a little garlic salt.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Viola!

 

Pico De Gallo Especial

Did you know that pico de gallo actually translates to rooster’s beak? I didn’t either. Um…. ok… that makes no sense. I tried looking up why this is and the guesses are as ridiculous as the name!!

1. Back in the day, pico was eaten with the thumb and forefinger so it looked like one was pecking at the pieces like a rooster.

2. The chilies give it a spicy kick that it feels like a rooster pecked you on the tongue.

Ridiculous! All of it! Silly!

Moving on.

I love love love pico de gallo. I can eat it by the spoonful. I will sit down with a bowl and chips and not get up until it’s finished. I cover all my Mexican dishes in it like a fiend. When I go to Mexican restaurants and ask for extra pico, I get really sad when they bring me 1/4 cup of the stuff. I wanted a BOWL of the fresh wonderful goodness!

 

As you can imagine, I am very particular about pico de gallo. Sure it’s simple enough to make at home – dice tomatoes, onion, chilies, and cilantro. But we’ll get to that another day. Today I want to talk about the really good stuff. In my neck of the woods, there is a little restaurant called Ranchitos. MM and I love it. They have simple basic Mexican fare, good service, and the food comes fast. I have yet to have tried something on the menu I didn’t like. I’m sure you can guess where this is going: their pico is to die for! They also give me a plenty for my chips and meal when I ask.

The other day, MM and I went for dinner. I whined about how my pico is never as good as theirs and that they should sell the stuff, they’d make a killing! MM furrowed his eyebrows and said “It can’t be that hard to make, why don’t you try?” I guess I’ve always been a little intimidated because there is so much going on in this version. I knew there had to be several ingredients that were hiding in there. The next think I knew, we were picking at the unknowns… like roosters! Bit by bit, we sorted it out and I made a list.

The next day I got the ingredients and threw the together as best I could. Holy Wow!! This was the best pico de gallo I’ve ever made!! Sweet, spicy, crisp, amazing!!!! I had to share with the world! It not exactly Ranchitos, but it’s pretty damn tasty!

Ingredients:

• 6 tomatoes (roma or vine)
• 2 tomatillos
• 1/2 medium yellow onion
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 fresh jalapeno, seeded
• 5 slices tamed pickled jalapeno
• 1/4 green cabbage head
• 1 tbsp Salt
• Vinegar (white or apple cider)
• 1 tbsp lime juice

Instructions 

1. Hand dice 4 of the tomatoes, tomatillos,  jalapeno, and pickled jalapeno.
2. Use a food processor to nearly puree the other two tomatoes.
3. Add everything to a large bowl and toss.
4. Use a food processor to finely chop the cabbage. Add to the large bowl.
5. Use a food processor to finely chop the onion, cilantro, and garlic. Add to the large bowl.  
6. Add 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp lime, and salt to taste.
7. Toss and chill.

Use on your Mexican plates, eggs, salads, wraps, or just by itself with chips!

 

 

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

What goes great with grilled meats and hot weather??? You guessed it! Potato salad!! I really love the traditional potato salads with egg and mayo and pickle but it is time consuming and sometimes you just need a change. A loaded baked potato salad can be as simple as boiling your potatoes, cutting and chilling them, then adding everything you put on a loaded baked potato – sour cream, green onions, bacon, cheddar cheese, or whatever else you like. Here’s my version of this summer favorite.

 

Ingredients

• 10 red potatoes
• 1 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 1 1/2 cup mayo or light mayo
• 8 rashers of bacon cooked
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
• 1/2 small yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp dill
• 2 tbsp parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. cut potatoes in half and boil until soft (about 20 minutes).
2. Cut potatoes into small bite size pieces
3. In a large bowl put potatoes and chill for at least 30 minutes
4. Finely chop or use a food chopper/processor to mince onion and garlic.
5. In a medium sized bowl mix sour cream, mayo, onion, garlic, dill, and parsley
6. Chop bacon or use food processor.
7. Add the dressing, bacon, and cheddar to the potatoes and toss.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Chill for 2 hours and serve.

 

 

 

Yummy Yakisoba

Need I say more? It’s yummy! Goes great with any Asian dish or a la carte!

 

Ingredients

• Yakisoba noodles – or whateva kine you like
• Sesame oil
• Oyster sauce
• Aloha shoyu (soy sauce)
• Fresh ginger
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cabbage head chopped
• Garlic salt
• Sesame seeds (optional)
• Veggies of your choosing:
  • Bean sprouts, carrot, broccoli, snow peas, snap peas, etc.

Instructions:

Make your liquid base in a pourable container by mixing 1 cup shoyu, ¼ cup oyster sauce, 2 tsp shredded ginger, ¼ cup brown sugar

Follow noodle prep instructions

In the Wok add chopped garlic, sliced onion, and 2 tsp sesame oil. Sauté until tender

Add done noodles and ½ the liquid base into the wok. Stir for 5 minutes

Add sesame seeds, cabbage, veggies and the rest of the liquid to the wok. Stir for 5-10 minutes.

Need more liquid? Add more shoyu and oyster sauce as desired

Need more flavor? Sprinkle and stir in garlic salt.