The Great (e)Scape!

My project to grow garlic is going like gangbusters! You'll remember that I planted about 90000 garlics last fall. I didn't think it would work. It's totally working. The plants have shot up from the ground and look terrific. Almost all of them survived the winter.

  I heart scapes

One of the benefits of growing garlic is the scape. Not a scrape but a scape. It's the flower produced by the bulb. It could be my new favorite thing. It starts out reaching straight up but then starts to curl around. It's amazing.

So many scapes....

And you can eat them. They are delicious! I saw some at a roadside stand which reminded me to run right out and harvest mine. So I've been taking them up a few at a time but I really need to take them all off today. Clipping or snapping off the scape helps encourage growth of the garlic bulb.

They really get curly - how fun is that?

Mostly they taste like a milder, greener version of garlic that can be used like a green onion. I've been using them in salads and in stir fries. I even made a kicky little salad dressing which was a beautiful color green. You can find tons of recipes for scapes by searching online. I think I have one jar of home canned horticulture beans left and later today I'll but making a white bean and garlic scape hummus.

Rows of garlic and potatoes.... garlic potatoes! I can't wait!

Another way to use them is to make a pesto like my new pals over at Terravita Farms. Does everyone know them? Who knew such a beautiful farm was located in a nearby county! If you are looking for a CSA or a local producer of farm products you've got to check them out. Some of their farm products (pasture raised chicken, eggs, rabbit, etc) are available at the Going Green Store in Granville, Ohio. I saw on their facebook page that they took a big heap of scapes over to Going Green earlier in the week.

I love promoting local farms and producers. If you are wondering if I get anything from talking about these businesses or if this is some kind of paid promotion. Nope nope nope. I just really think we are all better off by eating locally and using our food dollars to support smaller family farms.

There are so many weird things going on in Big Food right now that every dollar we spend locally encourages these small businesses to keep on growing. So shop at your local farmers market, find a upick place (like Shriners in Thornville but hurry - tomorrow is their last strawberry picking day!), or join a CSA.

As for me I'm heading out to pick the rest of my scapes. Later today I'll be in a green garlicky heaven.

Happy Friday everyone! Are you snappin' your scapes today?