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Growing Up Julia

~ Mastering the Art of Food Blogging

Growing Up Julia

Monthly Archives: July 2012

Big News: I’m running for Office!

05 Thursday Jul 2012

Posted by growingupjulia in Opinion

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

brunswick, district 66, house district 66, House of Representatives, maine, Maine House, Maine Legislature, matthea "mattie" daughtry, matthea daughtry, mattie daughtry, Representative Alex Cornell du Houx

Matthea Daughtry, Photo Credit: Michele Stapleton © 2012

Photo Credit: Michele Stapleton © 2012

Dear Growing Up Julia Readers,

I have some big news that I wanted to share with you.

I’m running for Office! Today I announced that I am seeking the Democratic nomination for the Maine House District 66 seat in my hometown of Brunswick, Maine.

My passion for politics is almost as strong as my passion for food. As I said in my first political opinion piece, I thought I would limit this blog strictly to all matters food — and leave politics to my twitter feed and work. But I cannot keep them separate. Even my heroine and this blog’s namesake, Julia Child, was politically active.

I was impelled to run for a office for a number of reasons, including the incredible responses to my political postings on this blog. You may remember my “Dear Governor” post last year. That little rant, and the conversations that it sparked, have led me to become more engaged in the workings of our legislature. Over the past year I have learned so much about what is happening in Augusta, and how it effects our lives. It is time for me to run. I will continue to blog about food and hopefully you will continue to give me feedback.

I am looking forward to this adventure and am so proud to have all of you by my side.

You can find my full announcement at www.DirigoBlue.com:

http://www.dirigoblue.com/2012/07/matthea-mattie-daughtry-announces-candidacy-for-hd-66-brunswick/

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I love Garlic Scapes!

03 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by growingupjulia in Fresh from the Garden

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

fresh broccoli, Fresh Pasta, fresh pasta with garlic scape pesto, fresh pasta with garlic scapes pesto, Garlic scape, garlic scape pesto, garlic scape pesto with walnuts, garlic scapes pesto

A bunch of Garlic Scapes

Garlic Scapes fresh from Mom’s garden

There is one early summer seasonal treat, that I cannot let slip by unnoted and that I have been enjoying for some time now and even stocking away in the freezer for a taste of summer sun next winter…Garlic Scapes!

I have to publicly declare my unfaltering love of Garlic Scapes (despite their impact on my breath)! Garlic scapes, those odd little serpent-like curlicues, are the under appreciated tops of garlic.

Garlic, the king of the allium family, comes in two main types, soft-neck or hard- neck, based on how they grow.  Soft-neck garlic grows well in warmer climates and does not have a hard central false flower stalk.  It stores well, can be braided, and consists of up to a dozen cloves, with smaller ones in the center of the head. Up north in Maine we have hard-necked garlic. Every fall my mother (and our neighbor Steve) plant a huge crop of bulbs and then wait until spring to see the garlic stalks peeking out of the ground. In late June, this central stalk shoots up to form a flower. This curly pig-tail shaped flower is the Garlic Scape! If left undisturbed the scape will develop bulblets (yes they are called bulbets) which would drain energy from the roots and impact the garlic. So every year my mother and I snip off the scapes in order to get better garlic in the late summer.

Garlic Scapes

Garlic Scapes

Every year I see people perplexed by Garlic Scapes. People stare at the funny green stalks wondering what on earth they are and what the heck they are going to do with the three bunches they just got in their CSA share. A co-worker was convinced they were weeds. But every time I see this confusion, I jump in as the Garlic Scape cheerleader: “They are delicious!” or “Just use them like Garlic” or “They are tasty I swear!”

Garlic Scapes are tender and bursting with mild garlic flavor. Take a couple of scapes and dice them up like scallions and toss them into a stew, stir-fry, omelette, or whatever for a subtle hint of garlic in less than half the time it would take to peel and dice a mature clove. They are divine left in their full twisted chaotic glory and drizzled with olive oil, a bit of salt and pepper and fresh herbs and accompanied by whatever else you can find in the fridge or garden (like red peppers) and grilled or roasted for a bit in a hot oven. They add interest to hummus. The small ones are tender enough to go into a lovely Ceasar salad.  Or chop them up and use as a last minute garnish for any number of dishes—wherever a sweet hint of garlic would be compatible.

A Fresh Head of Broccoli

We’ve also been enjoying some incredible fresh broccoli from my parent’s garden!

But my absolute favorite way to enjoy garlic scapes is to make them into a luscious pesto and serve it over fresh homemade pasta. The pesto can also be used on chicken, as a spread and any way that suits you!

Garlic Scape Pesto with Walnuts

Garlic Scape Pesto with Walnuts

Garlic Scape Pesto with Walnuts

Ingredients:

  • 15 Garlic Scapes
  • ½ cup Toasted Walnuts
  • ¾ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • ½ Tsp Sriracha (aka Rooster sauce)
  • ½ cup Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Optional: A pack of breath mints for afterwards…

Equipment:

  • Food Processor

1)   Place the Garlic Scapes and walnuts in a food processor and pulse until diced.

2)   Add the Parmesan and Sriracha and pulse until combined.

3)   Turn the processor on and pour the olive oil in with a slow steady stream. Combine until smooth.

4)   Try the pesto and add salt and pepper to taste

5)   Enjoy!

Garlic Scape Pesto with Fresh Pasta and Broccoli

The finished product! (Special thanks to Benjamin for making the fresh pasta)

NPR: Pie-Making 101: How I Overcame My Fear Of Crumbling Crust

02 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by growingupjulia in Baked Goods

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

npr, npr piemaking 101

This morning I heard a lovely piece on NPR’s Morning Edition about pies. In the piece they talked about how making a pie crust from scratch has become a lost art and invokes panic in many home chefs. After hearing this I’ve decided to make a video tutorial on my vodka pie crust. I’ve been asked several times for my recipe from friends who said the thought of making a crust from scratch scared them. I guess they weren’t alone! Look for the video in a couple of weeks. In the meantime start trying the recipe discussed in the NPR piece. Remember 3-2-1 and that you are the boss of the pie!

Give the piece a listen and tell me what you think!

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/07/02/155984642/pie-making-101-how-i-overcame-my-fear-of-crumbling-crust

Happy Baking!

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