Garlic Scape Hummus

Adapted from garlicfarmct.com

2 cans of chick peas, rinsed and drained

2 T. olive oil

1/2 c. lemon juice

1/2 c. fresh chopped garlic scapes

2 T. agave

1 t. sea salt

Place ingredients in blender or food processor and process until thick paste forms.  Add additional olive oil until desired consistency is achieved.  Add salt to taste.

Garlic Scape Pesto and Mushroom Pizza

Yummo!

Source:  MyKitchenAddiction.com

Dough for one large 15-inch pizza

1 c. garlic scape pesto

4 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 oz. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated

4 oz. sliced portobello mushrooms

Italian seasoning or fresh herbs

Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 475 degrees.

On a large piece of parchment paper, spread the pizza dough out to be as thick or thin as you like.  Spread the pesto on top of the dough.  Then, top with the cheeses, and arrange mushrooms on top of the pizza.  Sprinkle seasoning or herbs on top of the pizza.

Use a pizza peel to transfer the pizza (still on the parchment paper) to the preheated pizza stone.  Bake for 12-15 min., or until the pizza crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly.

Garlic Scape and Almond Pesto

Oh my word, if you love garlic as much as I do, you will think you are in heaven with this Garlic Scape Pesto!!  It's fabulous on pasta.  

If you're used to the texture of traditional basil or parsley pesto, just be prepared that the garlic scapes have a more substantial texture (not sure if that's the best way to describe it - as soon as you taste it, you'll understand what I'm trying to explain).  Once you get over that unexpected difference, you'll be in garlic heaven....  

Be sure to take advantage of the short scape season and stock your freezer with plenty of this pesto for future dining (if you can wait that long, unlike me!!).

Source:  Dorie Greenspan.com

10 garlic scapes, finely chopped

1/3 to 1/2 c. finely grated Parmesan (to taste and texture)

1/3 c. slivered almonds (toasted lightly, if you prefer)

1/2 c. olive oil

sea salt

Put the scapes, 1/3 c. cheese, almonds and half the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor (or use a blender or a mortar and pestle).  Whir to chop and blend all the ingredients and then add the remainder of the oil and, if you want, more cheese.  If you like the texture, stop; if you'd like it a little thinner, add some more oil.  Season with salt.

If you're not going to use the pesto immediately, press a piece of plastic against the surface to keep it from oxidizing.  The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for several days or packed airtight and frozen for several months, by which time tomatoes should be at their juiciest.

Yield:  1 cup

White Bean and Garlic Scapes Dip

It's amazing what a few short years can teach you!  I've only been growing my own garlic for 2 years now, and never even knew what garlic scapes were until last summer when my cousin told me about them.  So, I was quite eager to try them in this recipe this year!

Source:  nytimes.com

1/3 c. sliced garlic scapes (3-4)

1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste

1/2 t. coarse sea salt, more to taste

ground black pepper to taste

1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling

In a food processor, process garlic scapes with lemon juice, salt and pepper until finely chopped.  Add cannellinin beans and process to a rough puree.

With motor running, slowly drizzle olive oil though feed tube and process until fairly smooth.  Pulse in 2-3 T. water, or more, until mixture is the consistency of a dip.  Add more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice, if desired.

Spread out dip on a plate, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with more sea salt.

Yield:  1 1/2 cups

Note:  I wanted a thicker consistency for spreading on crostinis, so I followed the recipe above, but then added another can of partially processed cannellini beans to give it a bit more texture, then added more garlic scapes, lemon juice and salt to taste.