
Grilled Garlic Scapes
- July 06, 2013 |
- 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 saltTo 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.
Simple, but it sounds so good. Def gonna be makin these this summer. Might be good to mix them up with some grilled apple slices too.
Hi Mike… I have never grilled apples, will try it some time. Tonight I am grilling a whole cabbage and topping it all with roasted peppers, pine nuts, capers and a balsamic vinaigrette…. should make a nice summer ”salad”