Garlic Scapes!

I suppose I could have lumped this in with my previous post about the goodies in my CSA basket this week, as the focus of this came as part of that bundle of deliciousness…but that dawned on me a bit late. When we think of garlic in what is probably its most traditional form, it is the actual bulb…however, the stalk of the garlic plant, otherwise knowns as the garlic scape, is also edible and really delicious! It’s not quite as pungent and very tender, and is ideal for dips, pestos, and to sautee in stir fry dishes.

I decided to try them in a white bean dip. The end result was a bit strong for me, so I would alter the recipe again as I’ve included it below. I just saw in my CSA email that I’ll be getting more this week, perhaps I’ll go for the pesto next time. Enjoy!

White Bean and Garlic Scape Dip

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup sliced garlic scapes
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• Generous ½ tsp salt
• Pepper to taste
• 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup olive oil

 Directions:

1. Combine scapes, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor a blitz a few times to combine.
2. Add the cannellini beans and process until all the beans are mashed up.
3. While the food processor is running, add the olive oil. Depending on the consistency you’d like for your dip, you may choose to add a tablespoon or so of water as well.