You may have never heard of garlic scapes and you may have never thought to eat squash blossoms, but these two are some of early summer’s hidden culinary gems.
Garlic Scapes are the curling tops of garlic plants, as edible as the bulbs themselves. They are less sharp in flavor than the bulb, yet distinctly garlic, and I think that they also contain a subtle flavor of greens. You can use garlic scapes in a variety of ways including sautéing with pasta, stir fry, chopped and pan seared with your favorite meats, but the easiest way to use garlic scapes is to make them into a pesto.
Garlic Scape Pesto
- garlic scapes (10 make a nice serving size)
- olive oil
- parmesan cheese (to taste)
- sea salt (to taste)
First wash your scapes. I prefer to use a food processor for creating pesto. Add your scapes and chop. Then slowly drizzle olive oil in while chopping with the food processor. After scraping down the sides of the bowl I like to fold in my freshly grated parmesan cheese and sea salt. Serve on toasted rounds of whole wheat bread, crackers, or as a condiment for steak or pork.
We enjoyed garlic scape pesto on grilled pork chops – it’s a quick and easy way to add fresh local foods to your meal.
Squash Blossoms
The flowers from either summer or winter squash are edible and delicious, Squash blossoms come in varying shades of yellow and orange, with flavors that hint of the squash itself. They can be found from late spring through early fall in specialty produce markets as well as Italian, Latin and Filipino markets. Squash blossoms are naturally soft and somewhat limp, but choose those that look fresh, with closed buds. They’re extremely perishable and should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a day. Squash blossoms may be used as a garnish (whole or slivered) for almost everything from soups to main dishes. They also add color and flavor to salads. The most common method of cooking them is sautéing, often after coating the blossoms with a light batter. Squash blossoms are sometimes stuffed with ingredients such as soft cheese before being baked or batter-dipped and fried. They contain vitamins A and C, as well as iron and calcium.
These could be the blossoms of any sort of squash, summer or winter, and are an important part of native American cooking and are also used in many other parts of the world. (from recipes.wikia.com)
Baked stuffed squash blossoms make for a beautiful and elegant appetizer fresh from the farmer’s market.
Ingredients
- 1 cup ricotta
- 3 eggs, divided
- ⅓ cup chopped parsley
- Salt
- 12 squash blossoms
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Mix together ricotta, 1 lightly beaten egg, and parsley. Season with salt.
- Put the remaining 2 eggs in a bowl and whisk. Put the breadcrumbs in another bowl.
- Carefully spoon filling into each squash blossom and twist loosely at the end to close.
- Dip each stuffed squash blossom in egg, then breadcrumbs, and transfer to a parchment or tin foil-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy.
- Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Garlic Scapes. Squash Blossoms. Early Summer's Hidden Gems.
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