Garlic scapes, basil, parsley and pistachios combined in a traditional hummus base for a fresh Spring dip. Garlic scape pesto freezes to have this seasonal treat year round.
For other recipes using Garlic Scapes, please see my Garlic & Garlic Scapes Recipe Collection. It's part of the Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient, a resource for seasonal eaters faced with a staggering amount of fresh produce we just don't know what to do with. I've got a Pinterest board of Garlic Scape Recipes here, and a Round Up of 28+ Food Blogger Recipes Using Garlic Scapes here. Want to know how to Use This Blog?
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Part One: The Making of Garlic Scape Pesto
To paraphrase Dick Van Dyke's Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ("Don't waste your pucker on some all day sucker. And don't try a toffee or cream. If you seek perfection in sugar confection, well, there's something new on the scene") don't waste your scapes in some Spring stir fry, instead try this pesto, it's green.
When I read Annie's post about garlic scape pesto I was intrigued. I'd never tried it, but it sounded good. When my CSA farm share and my garlic bed provided me with garlic scapes I knew I'd give it a try. As it turned out, I didn't follow my own directions for stocking up on pesto supplies before the garlic scapes appeared. I did have a block of parmesan, but I didn't have any pine nuts.
I got to thinking . . . why do I have to use pine nuts in pesto? Weren't the original pesto makers just using what was readily available to them, not sourcing to China to make a sauce? (Check your bag of pine nuts, you'd be surprised) I mean, I had great success using almonds and cashews in my Fresh Tomato Pesto. In my pantry I've got almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and sunflower seeds available--I chose pistachios for this just because they are green and would enhance the bright green of this garlic scape pesto.
.jpg "Garlic Scape Pistachio Pesto Hummus | Farm Fresh Feasts http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2014/05/garlic-scape-pistachio-pesto-hummus.html")
Because I plan ahead, and will be putting up this pesto by freezing it, I keep it a little thicker by using less oil. By freezing this pesto, the plant cell walls that weren't disrupted by the food processor will burst, resulting in a more liquid pesto when thawed. If you're not planning on saving some for later, use more oil.
When I read Annie's post about garlic scape pesto I was intrigued. I'd never tried it, but it sounded good. When my CSA farm share and my garlic bed provided me with garlic scapes I knew I'd give it a try. As it turned out, I didn't follow my own directions for stocking up on pesto supplies before the garlic scapes appeared. I did have a block of parmesan, but I didn't have any pine nuts.
I got to thinking . . . why do I have to use pine nuts in pesto? Weren't the original pesto makers just using what was readily available to them, not sourcing to China to make a sauce? (Check your bag of pine nuts, you'd be surprised) I mean, I had great success using almonds and cashews in my Fresh Tomato Pesto. In my pantry I've got almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and sunflower seeds available--I chose pistachios for this just because they are green and would enhance the bright green of this garlic scape pesto.
[In fact, I had a lil' ol' pestopalooza party with all the garlic scapes and fresh herbs after my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share resumed--that flood of green after the long winter was so welcome--sure, the Strategic Winter Squash Reserve provided some lovely orange veggies, but man, I missed getting a big ol' box of leafy veggies each week! I made pesto using garlic scapes and sun dried tomatoes. I used basil and parsley for the leaves. I used pistachios and sunflower seeds for the nuts. I wrote down the various combinations, but my favorite is the one I'm sharing below--garlic scapes with pistachio nuts and basil.]
Because I plan ahead, and will be putting up this pesto by freezing it, I keep it a little thicker by using less oil. By freezing this pesto, the plant cell walls that weren't disrupted by the food processor will burst, resulting in a more liquid pesto when thawed. If you're not planning on saving some for later, use more oil.
