As part of this week’s special two part series on food preservation, here’s the second installment: Fun With Garlic Scapes.

What Are Garlic Scapes?

Heads of garlic are an essential part of any gourmet kitchen, but did you know that there’s much more to garlic than its cloves?

Garlic scapes (also known as garlic tops, garlic shoots, green garlic, spring baby garlic, garlic spears, early garlic greens, or garlic “flowers”) are the curly tipped, extremely tasty green shoots that grow from “heads” of hardneck (or topset) garlic which are usually discarded before harvesting in most of the U.S.

This is quite a shame because garlic scapes are a versatile and nutritious culinary treasure that is valued in Korean, Chinese, Thai, Polynesian, and coastal French cuisine. (Asian markets with produce sections are virtually guaranteed to stock fresh garlic scapes in season, but you can also find them at farmers’ markets, and gourmet supermarkets. Frozen garlic scapes are even easier to find and are readily available year-round in the freezer section of most Asian supermarkets.)

Taste-wise, garlic scapes are to garlic heads what scallions are to onions. They are garlicky but with a fresh “green” taste. They can be used in any dish where one usually uses garlic but wants a brighter, more complex garlic flavor with less bite than one would get from standard garlic cloves.

Garlic scapes work well in soups, salads, stews, salsas, dips, guacamole, omelettes, frittatas, souffles, marinades, pesto, salad dressings, and stir-fry. They can also be pickled and added to homemade flavored vinegars. Scapes are also delightful when cooked into sauces.

A simple but wonderful garlic scape spread can be made by chopping some up and mixing them with softened cream cheese (or sour cream) and dill. When added to mayonnaise to make an aioli, the flavor of chopped garlic scapes becomes milder and the savory notes are more apparent. I also like to make a nice garlic scape dressing with sour cream to add to salads, use as a dip for crackers, Triscuits, toast points, and pork rinds or to spoon over a nice salad.

Garlic scapes also make an interesting side dish. Here’s a simple but good recipe for roasted garlic scapes I came across awhile ago:

Roasted Garlic Scapes

Take the scapes and put them in a lightly oiled roasting pan, top with salt (kosher or sea salt works best). Put the loaded and covered pan in a hot (425°F) oven for 30 to 45 minutes or until they are beginning to turn brown. serve as a side or main dish. Tastes like roasted garlic but creamier. This is also good drizzled with a light cheese sauce.

Here’s a recipe for garlic scape pesto:

Garlic Scape Pesto

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or even better in my experience, Tallegio cheese)
3 Tbsp. fresh lime or lemon juice
1/4 lb. garlic scapes
1/2-cup olive oil
Salt to taste

Puree’ scapes and olive oil in a food processor until smooth. Stir in Parmesan and lime or lemon juice and season to taste.

More Uses For Garlic Scapes:

You can also chop up garlic scapes and use them for seasoning, just like regular garlic.

Garlic scapes can be dehydrated, or preserved as a pesto. They also freeze well for future use.

NOTE: The numbers in the photo above correspond to the instructions below…Have fun using your new spice!

Why Make Your Own Garlic Scape Spice?

Since the garlic scape season is a fairly short one in many parts of the country, this recipe will allow you to conveniently add the bright taste of garlic scapes to your meals all year round. This spice can also be added to homemade dehydrated soup mixes so you can have the taste of garlic on the go, and in a lightweight yet durable format for campers, etc. This would also make a great homemade gift for any die-hard garlic lover!

This recipe also allows garlic scape nuts…er afficianados to justify large purchases of garlic scapes in season because dehydrated scapes take up much less space than fresh ones and have a long shelf life while still retaining their flavor and nutritional value.

As far as I know, no company has yet decided to put garlic scape spice on the market, so if you want to enjoy the goodness of garlic scape spice, you’ll have to make your own.

The Method:

To get started, all you need are some garlic scapes, an electric multi-tray dehydrator, and a food processor or sharp knife.

1. Grab a few handfuls of garlic scapes, clean them, and shake the water out. Use a food processor to puree’ your garlic scapes (you may need to cut them in pieces before loading them into the food processor). Or chop your garlic scapes with a sharp kitchen knife as finely as you can.

2. Pour the pureed garlic scapes onto the trays of your electric dehydrator and turn it on. Dehydration should take 4-6 hours. The garlic scapes are done when they are dry and brittle like the dried chives you get in the spice jars you find in the supermarket.

3. To give your garlic scape spice a versatile, dried chive texture, use a mortar and pestle and grind the newly dried spice until it’s the texture you like. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can hand crumble the spice in a bowl instead.

4. To give your garlic scape spice a fine, powdery texture, just pour the dried scapes into your food processor or coffee mill/spice grinder and process until fine. Or just keep processing it until it’s the right texture with a mortar and pestle.

Tip: If you opt for the fine texture, you can mix it with salt and/or other spices to make your own custom garlic scape spice blend. If you opt for the “chive” texture and decide down the road that you’d prefer to make a spice blend, you can always grind it finer and add your salt or other spices later.

5. Store your finished garlic scape spice in a glass bottle…enjoy!

Want to learn more about the pleasures of garlic scapes? The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a nice overview here.

Are you a gardener? Here’s how to grow the type of garlic that produces garlic scapes.

Spicelines also has a nice Hong Kong inspired recipe for Beef and Garlic Shoots in Oyster Sauce you might want to try.

Note: This original Hugging the Coast article also appears on eHow in three parts as:

• How to Use Garlic Scapes and Shoots in Recipes

• How to Make Your Own Homemade Garlic Scape Spice

• How to Make Fresh Garlic Scape Pesto

(You can see more Hugging the Coast eHow articles here.)

Looking for a a very comforting and homey recipe you can make in 90 minutes or less? Try making this recipe for Salt Cod Cakes from the folks at the CIA Sizzle blog.

Ingredients:

1 pound Salt Cod filet
Water as needed
2 2/3 cups milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 2/3 cups Russet potatoes (2-3 large), peeled
1 egg
1 tablespoon brown mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco sauce to taste
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and black pepper to taste

1 cup Panko Japanese bread crumbs
12 slices bacon
Vegetable oil to pan-fry as needed
12 toothpicks

How to Make Salt Cod Cakes
See More of Hugging the Coast’s Fish For Friday Recipes

Courtesy of Travel Industry Wire.Com:

A recent Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) study, showed that 58% of all American leisure travellers say they are somewhat/very interested in taking a trip to engage in culinary or wine-related activities.

With this in mind, editors of the website Travelocity say they scoured the globe to highlight unique foodie finds.

Due to its access to top-notch chefs and fresh ingredients, Charleston, SC made the list

Travelocity’s 10 Delicious Destinations for Foodies: (in alphabetical order)

• Barcelona, Spain

This Spanish city started getting recognition just within the last five years. Catalan influences dominate both the culture and cuisine with French and Mediterranean inspired dishes more prevalent than traditional Spanish fare. Catalan cuisine features a unique combination of ingredients such as red meat and fish; poultry and fruit; and pork sausage with white beans. Each dish is unique, original and utterly impossible to put down.

• Boulder, Colorado

It’s no secret that Boulder is about as eco-friendly and earthy as it gets, but what may come as a surprise is how the recent addition of urban dwellers has led to a more sophisticated and trend-setting approach to organic dining. Take The Kitchen Café for example, which offers an eclectic menu with superior organic ingredients, but moreover, is completely green-they even compost all of the kitchen scraps and use wind power. On top of this green approach, Boulderites have access to some of the country’s finest boutique ingredients, such as hormone-free Colorado lamb, local cheeses, and even organic microbrews.

• Charleston, South Carolina

Some may call it soul food, but in Charleston they call it Low Country cuisine. Prevailing as the undisputed local favorite, this culinary specialty infuses restaurant menus with dishes such as Frogmore Stew, She-Crab Soup and Hoppin’ John. Rice, grits and fresh, local produce play an integral role in the creation of these truly Southern meals, and the waters that surround South Carolina’s Low Country inspire local cooks more often than not with seafood dishes found on just about every menu.

• Las Vegas, Nevada

In the spirit of Liberace, Vegas’ recent restaurant boom is completely over the top-and we mean that in the best possible way. If you want your foie gras topped with shaved truffles and dusted with gold, it’s a sure bet it can be found here. Top chefs from NYC, Paris, and London are opening namesake outposts in hotels and casinos with much fanfare, so keep an eye out for Emeril, Thomas Keller, and Bobby Flay. Fortunately for our wallets, Vegas’ famous buffets are still a beloved part of life on The Strip.

• London, United Kingdom

London is shaking its reputation for having mediocre cuisine (we think it was undeserved anyway!). Celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsey have built on the English penchant for exquisite service and fine surroundings, and have made the current restaurant scene world famous. All the while, specialty gourmet shops have continued operations for nearly 300 years, as in the case of Fortnum & Mason, known for its fine teas, and Paxton & Whitfield, cheesemonger to the royal family. Choose from afternoon tea, Indian curries, and classic pub fare, like shepherd’s pie-then wash it down with a black and tan before hitting the museums.

• Montreal, Quebec

Known ubiquitously for its French cuisine, the Montreal culinary scene also boasts imaginative carte du jours from more than 80 countries. Dine at one of the city’s 5,000 restaurants, or spend the day meandering through local markets in search of the same culinary treasures used by Montreal chefs. While there, sample a Montreal-style bagel topped with cream cheese or a smoked meat sandwich, two local treats.

• New Orleans, Louisiana

Many first time visitors head to New Orleans to experience events such as Mardi Gras or JazzFest, but they return time and time again for its food. NOLA’s most famous restaurants include Emeril’s, Commander’s Palace and Antoine’s, but local favorites such as Jacques-Imos and Port of Call deserve a spot on the map of culinary treasures as well. Cajun and Creole dishes throughout the city tempt the taste buds, and no visit to Crescent City is complete without indulging in a beignet dusted with powdered sugar and a cup of café au lait laced with chicory at Café Du Monde.

• New York, New York

Cabbies and billionaires alike clamor for the city’s famous slices, pretzels with mustard, and roasted chestnuts in paper bags, but beyond streetfood, NYC boasts more restaurants per capita than any other American city. Whether one is looking for a neighborhood Italian joint or sweeping views of Central Park at Per Se, there’s something for everyone. The city is also home to some of the best foodie souvenir shops around, including DiPalo’s homemade mozzarella, the Doughnut Plant’s pistachio glazed version, and Vintage’s Long Island wines.

• Rome, Italy

Dining in this Italian capital is an experience that’s arguably just as pleasurable as seeing the sites the city has to offer and surprisingly, finding the best fare is as easy as pie. While Northern Italy is famous for its pesto and truffles, Tuscany for its olive oil and beans, Sicily for its sweets, and the south for its seafood and spice, Roman cuisine boasts all of this and more. From home-style Italian cooking in charming trattorias to innovative fare in designer restaurants, the old streets of Rome will have you savoring la dolce vita.

• San Francisco, California

Alice Waters is credited with changing the way Americans eat, and now her local, seasonal approach to cuisine is now an integral part of San Francisco’s venerable restaurant scene. With Wine Country vintages at hand, Bodega Bay oysters on the half-shell, and Northern California’s bounty, visitors are able to try ingredients they wouldn’t have access to at home. As if that weren’t enough, the City by the Bay is a hotbed for artisanal products, such as Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam cheese, McEvoy Ranch olive oil, and Scharfenberger chocolates, all of which can be found at the foodie mecca known as the Ferry Building.