Herbs

Garlic Scapes
FROM MARY JANE’S IDEABOOK……

This recipe is from Mary Jane’s Ideabook. It originally appeared in the Spokesman Review newspaper and was sent to me by the one and only, Mary Jane Butters of Mary Jane's Farm.

Gotta tell you, I am groveling for more scapes from my farmer friends. Note to self: Grow your own. If nothing else, the curly-cues will make you giggle. But I digress:

Mary Jane’s Garlic Scape Pesto

From “MaryJane’s Ideabook, Cookbook, Lifebook” (Potter, 2005)

1/4 pound garlic scapes

1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Salt

Puree garlic scapes and olive oil in a blender or food processor until smooth. Stir in parmesan cheese and lime juice and salt, to taste. Yield: 3 cups

Roasted Garlic Scapes

From “MaryJane’s Ideabook, Cookbook, Lifebook”

8 whole garlic scapes

1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic scapes on foil and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes, or until scapes are softened.

Yield: 2 servings

Garlic Scape Frittata

From “MaryJane’s Ideabook, Cookbook, Lifebook”

1 1/2 cups garlic scapes, chopped

1/2 cup scallions, chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup hot water

4 large eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

Place garlic scapes and scallions in a 10-inch skillet with 1 teaspoon olive oil, the hot water and a pinch of salt. Cook, covered, over medium-high heat until tender, about five minutes. Drain well.

Beat eggs with salt and pepper.

Add remaining oil to skillet. When the oil is hot, shake the skillet to spread the greens evenly and add eggs. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until top is set (2 to 3 minutes). Cut into wedges; serve hot or cold.

Yield: 2 servings

Garlic Scape Risotto

From “MaryJane’s Ideabook, Cookbook, Lifebook”

10 whole garlic scapes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped shallots

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic scapes on a sheet of foil and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Fold in the edges to make a packet. Bake for 20 minutes or until scapes are softened. Puree in a food processor until smooth.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan. Add the shallots and cook until soft. Add the rice and stir until lightly golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 cup of the stock and cook until absorbed completely. Add enough chicken stock to cover risotto and stir until the liquid begins to be absorbed. Continue adding more stock to cover the rice until the risotto is tender to taste. Risotto should be creamy, but not soupy.

Remove from heat. Add the scape puree, Parmesan cheese and butter, and stir to combine.

Yield: 4 servings
ArugulaEruca-vesicaria
Commonly known as by a number of common names including arugula, garden rocket, rocket salad, roka, roquette, rucola or rugula. This plants is going to seed. I let a few plants do so, in order to "self sow". The peppery greens are good added to a salad, chopped and added to pasta, or stir fried in a bit of oil or ghee and served with a splash of rice vinegar.
Culinary Sage/Salvia
officinalis or simply sage. One of the most valuable herbs in the kitchen. Fried sage is an easy but fancy addition to pasta dishes, rice, simply as a snack with cheese, add a few fried leaves to soup or toss on top of a sheet pan of roasted squash.

To prepare: wash and towel dry sage leaves. In a sauce pan, heat 4 oz of ghee or butter or a good cooking oil or a mix of all three. Gently fry the leaves for about 15-20 seconds. Do not let them burn. Ready to eat!