Garlic Scapes - The Ultimate Seasonal Veg!

Hello, my VOH Buddies!

As our spring is in full bloom, we have more wonderful veggies bursting in our farm. I want to introduce to you, our garlic lovers dream. We at VOH have an abundance of garlic scapes. You may be wondering what they are. Garlic scapes are the long, green curled shoots that grow from the base of hardneck garlic plants. They have a bulge on the end of the stalk; that is actually the bud. If you let them grow, they will flower and seed out. This weekend at my house, we used these wonderful garlic scapes into amazing recipes. Of course, we wanted to make pesto, but we wanted to bring to you a couple of innovative ways. We made an oriental garlic scape with eggs and we made a side dish of potatoes and garlic scapes. We devoured these two dishes. They turned out delicious and were super quick and easy for our very busy household. Give them a try and you will not regret it.

Garlic Scapes Stir Fry:

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten

2 T fresh ginger, minced

2 green onions, sliced

12 oz VoHF garlic scapes, sliced into 1” pieces

Mix the oyster sauce and soy sauce together in a small bowl. Set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the eggs. Let cook for a few seconds until the bottom sets. Scramble the eggs lightly until just cooked through, then transfer them to a plate and set aside. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil, ginger and green onion. Stir a few times to release the fragrance. Add the garlic scapes. Stir and cook for 2-4 minutes, until the scapes start to soften. Pour in the oyster sauce mixture and stir to mix well. Taste a piece of garlic scape. It should be tender but still a bit crisp. You can cook it longer if you prefer a more tender scape. Return the eggs to the pan. Stir and cook for another 30 seconds. Transfer everything to a large serving plate. Garnish with the remaining fresh green onions. Serve either hot over rice as a main dish or as a side dish.

Potato and Garlic Scapes:

1 pound of potatoes

1 1/2 cups VoHF garlic scapes, chopped

3 Tbs of olive oil

Salt, pepper, and spices to taste

Mix the olive oil, salt, pepper. We also added garlic powder, onion powder, and a dash of paprika.

Toss the potatoes with the mix and place in oven or air fryer at 375 degrees for 14 to 20 minutes (depends on your oven and size of your potatoes).

The garlic scapes become aromatic and give the potatoes a wonderful unique flavor.

Until next week, my friends!

Your Farm Writer,

Victoria