Using garlic stalks to make garlic pesto

[Liberty7]

Again, this is from the book, Newspaper, Pennies, Cardboard & Eggs for Growing a Better Garden, by Roger Yepsen.

Unless you want garlic plants to make seed heads, you can harvest the stalks early, while they're still tender, and pulverize them into pesto.

A simple recipe uses 3 cups of the stalks, 2/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and 2/3 cup olive oil. Process in a blender.

Heck -- might as well get use out of this part of the garlic plant, too!

 

[kellygirrl]

I've been reading an old discussion on Gardenweb about leaving the scapes on, in order to get better storage bulbs. The guy who explains it is a commercial grower. I'm going to try it next year. Hardnecks (the ones w/ scapes) are supposed to be more flavorful, but less keeping than softnecks. I've always grown softnecks. Except that sometime in my early oblivious gardening history after buying my house, I planted a hardneck which has essentially naturalized in my yard. I scatter the seeds in the berry patches (supposed to be protective), and they scatter themselves wherever. They make small bulbs when grown from seed. I like having all those garlic greens to harvest when I want, and small bulbs in the fall, that I know will always be there, even if I forget to plant my "real" patch.
Here's the link about leaving scapes on for better storage:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/allium/msg1016544931123.html

 

[me&thegals]

They're called scapes And they are delicious! Last year, I had about 500 garlic bulbs planted for basically my first time growing garlic. Then, they started sprouting out these long curved things at just the same time I read a Mother Earth News article on scapes! My CSA customers got thick bunches of these for a couple weeks until every last one had been picked. I chopped my up and froze some, ate them fresh and made them into pesto. They are WONDERFUL in soups, stir-fries, pesto on bread, noodles or the sauce for pizza.

Here's my pesto recipe:

Garlic Scape Pesto
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp. fresh lime or lemon juice
1/4 lb. 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. Serve on bread, crackers or pasta.