Garlic Magic: Raw Vegan Scape Pesto

As garlic scapes continue to be harvested over the next week, here is a delicious recipe to enjoy. Scapes are the flower stems that the plants produce before the bulbs mature. They are often removed  to direct the plant’s energy toward bigger bulbs.  Scapes can be added to salads, hummus, stir-fry, or any other dish to add a garlicky bite. 

SPICY RAW VEGAN PESTO

8 oz. chopped up scape (1-2 inch segments)
4oz. walnuts or pine nuts
1 1/2 cup olive oil
3 Tb lemon juice

Combine in food processor.  Blend until desired texture is achieved. More nuts will make the pesto more mild.  Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese for a delicious vegetarian pesto.  My family has come to prefer garlic over basil pesto, which is fortunate, due to the abundance of the harvest.  It is great with crackers, pasta, and cheese. This is a healthy, inexpensive snack, easy to make in large batches.  Garlic scapes can be usually be purchased from farmers by the pound in June and July.

My husband and I are processing hundreds of pounds of scapes this season, transforming them into delicious pesto.  Look for us at the Madison Farmers Market with Gunderson's Great Garlic.  We have been working hard in the horse-plowed fields and in the community kitchen!  We will also be selling both our vegan and parmesan pestos at The Hive in downtown Amherst, WI, and online soon.

 

Gunderson's Garlic Farm
Amherst, WI