Garlic scapes are an early summer treat here on the farm. They are great chopped and added to stir-fries, or grilled on the barbeque--simply put them in a grill basket, spray with olive oil, and grill for a couple of minutes on each side. Sprinkle with salt, and serve. But my favorite way to prepare garlic scapes is to do a pesto and serve over pasta. Here is the recipe we use on the farm:
Ingredients: 10 garlic scapes 1/3 cup unsalted pistachios (or substitute lightly toasted pine nuts) 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Use a blender or food processor to pulse into a paste the scapes, pistachios, cheese, salt, and pepper. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in olive oil so that it emulsifies. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. For pasta, add the pesto to cooked noodles of your choice and thin with an amount of the pasta cooking water to the desired consistency. Drizzle with a little olive oil and top with fresh basil leaves and some scape ends.