Grilled Garlic Scapes

• June 22, 2011  |
• by Kirstin Uhrenholdt

The first time I saw these crazy things in the farmer’s market I was immediately giddy. How could you not be? Crazy corkscrews of green topped with an elegant spike… even before I knew what they were, or what they were for, I joined the other shoppers grabbing them by the handful. The farm lady (who by the way was sporting a fine mustache) explained that the were garlic scapes, the flower of the garlic bulb that eventually blossoms into a beautiful, yet piquant smelling bloom (this I found out the hard way after using them in flower arrangements leaving my dining room smelling like a garlic field).

You can make pesto out of them, slice them thinly into your salads, use them in stir-fries or gently sautéed as a side dish. But my favorite way to use them is as a grilled hors d’œuvre, that is elegantly picked up with your fingers and eaten with your head thrown back.

You need

A tangle of garlic scapes
A tasty olive oil
A squeeze of a lemon or two
A sprinkle of salt

To make a few people happy

Toss the whole scapes with a good olive oil. Corral them onto a hot grill, and try to keep the tips from slipping between the grills. Grill until soft in some spots, a little charred in others, frequent taste tests are recommended.

Put on a big platter with a generous amount of lemon squeezed and sea salt showered upon it. I cannot guarantee you also will grow a mustache, but perhaps you too will be lucky.