{ Garlic Scape Pesto }

Summer is here! All those early spring crops are blooming and ripening in our northern vegetable garden. One of the first items we look forward to every season is our garlic scapes. The overwintered garlic we planted last fall shoots up strong and beautiful from the earth as soon as the spring snow melts, and produces us with TWO lovely crops. First is the curly scapes, which are fragrant and delicious whether grilled, fried, sauteed– or, stay with me here, pureed into a creamy pesto. (Recipe below)  The second crop of course is the garlic bulb itself, coming slightly later in season. (And we can’t wait for those either– fresh garden garlic takes the cake on garlic you can buy from a grocery store!)

These beautiful, curly stalks are actually the flower bud of the garlic plant. Gardeners remove them in late June to encourage the bulbs to thicken up and direct their energy into producing flavourful garlic cloves. Our CSA members get the treat of both over the course of summer, however these scapes are eagerly placed in their first bin of the season! This delicious recipe (along with all its drool worthy images) was created specifically for our CSA members by one of our favourite Edmonton food bloggers Jessica Musslewhite of MUSHROOMS & THYME blog. (Check it out for more tasty recipes and all kinds of culinary exquisiteness!)

This pesto recipe below has all the right elements giving you that first taste of summer. Smooth and subtle cashews with olive oil, fragrant garlic scapes, the zip of lemon juice, and aromatic basil. It’s a delight to the tastebuds and satisfying on the plate smothering your pasta, spread across your sandwiches, grilled flatbreads or pizza. I even enjoy a generous dollop on my baked potato with a smear of melting butter for good measure. Give this goodness a whirl in your kitchen and see what you think!

Thanks once more to Jessica Musslewhite for inspiring us with this garden deliciousness…

Hope you all enjoy!