Garlic Scape Pesto

(Keto, Low-Carb, Gluten-Free & Grain-Free)

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Garlic scapes are a vegetable that you may not be familiar with, as they are not often sold in commercial grocery stores.  Or at least, not in any grocery store I have ever been in! 

The first time I encountered a garlic scape was a few years ago when I received a handful of them in a local farm share delivery.  I remember thinking, what in the heck are these?  And what am I supposed to do with them?

What In the Heck Are Garlic Scapes?

As it turns out, these strange vegetables are often sold by local farmers and if you have seen them, it was likely at a farmer’s market.  You’d recognize them as being long, curly, deep green vegetables.  They are often one of the first vegetables to arrive on the market, which is in mid-June here in Colorado.

Garlic scapes are the stem and flower bud of a hardneck garlic plant.  The scapes grow out of the garlic bulb, then curl and coil.  Some say they look like a curly green bean.  (I think they kind of look like a garter snake!)

The garlic scapes must be harvested from the bulb in the early summer, so that the bulb remaining in the ground can focus its energy on growing larger and more flavorful for when its harvested later in the summer.

The flavor of a garlic scape is a cross between an onion and a garlic, but it has the texture of asparagus.  It really is quite an interesting vegetable.

These unique vegetables can be substituted in just about any recipe that calls for garlic cloves or scallions.  However, my favorite way to use them is in pesto!

What Ingredients Will I Use?

I use the following 6 ingredients in my recipe:

• Garlic Scapes
• Grated Cheese (Parmesan, Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Romano)
• Pine Nuts
• Lemon Juice
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Himalayan Pink Salt

If you have never made pesto sauce, I can tell you that it is one of the easiest things you can do at home.

I simply place all the ingredients into a Vitamix and puree the contents until smooth.  You can also use a blender or food processor.   However, it has been my experience that the Vitamix does a better job at pulverizing the garlic scapes into a puree, than the average blender or food processor does.

And that’s it, really.  You can use the pesto sauce right away or store it in a jar for up to 3 days.  You can also freeze this sauce.  See below for tips on freezing.  

What Other Oils Can I Use?

This is one recipe that I generally use extra virgin olive oil for.  Avocado oil would make a great substitute, if olive oil is not available.  However, I highly recommend that you avoid using oils that contain excessive amounts of omega 6 fats (such as sunflower oil, safflower oil, canola oil, corn oil, soy or soybean oil, etc.). 

Excessive omega 6 fats in our diets causes inflammation in our bodies, which is responsible for diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, leaky gut syndrome, obesity, stress and depression, among others.  

Can I Freeze It?

Yes, you can freeze this pesto.  In fact, I always do! 

Since garlic scapes are only available for a short period of time in the late spring and early summer, you’ve got to stock up on them when they’re in season!  And since I can never seem to eat them all right away, I make a large batch of pesto and freeze it for future use.

I like to freeze my pesto in silicone ice cube trays.  Put 1 tablespoon of pesto into each cube.  Then, let the cubes freeze for at least 4 hours.  The cubes pop out of the molds fairly easily.  They can then be stored in a zip lock bag until you are ready to use them.

Remember to label the zip lock bag with the name of the sauce and the date before freezing, so you don’t forget what you made and when you made it! 

Some say that you should use this sauce within one month of freezing.  Perhaps the sauce is freshest, if used within a month.  However, I have made so much pesto sauce in the past that I had enough to last the entire year!  And the sauce was still deliciously, usable.  I would not suggest letting the pesto go longer than a year in the freezer.  But the sauce will be usable for a while longer than a month.

What Can I Use Garlic Scape Pesto Sauce For?

This garlic scape pesto sauce can be used in any recipe that calls for pesto sauce.  Here are a few examples of uses:

• Use pesto sauce as a base for an Italian chicken pizza. 
• Combine pesto sauce and cream cheese.  Spread the mixture on salmon and bake.
• Add pesto sauce to casseroles.
• Flavor pasta sauces with this pesto and serve over noodles.

For more ideas, check out this post on 50 Things to Make With Pesto.  It is full of great ideas that will spice up your life!

I find it fun to rediscover foods that may have been forgotten.  I hope this garlic scape pesto sauce adds a little adventure to your meals!  It has certainly livened up our dinner table with delicious flavors.  Enjoy!

Have you ever made cooked with garlic scapes?  What did you use them for?  Please share below.

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