I love Garlic Scapes!

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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

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

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.

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

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!

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

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The Beginning!

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Anthony Bourdain, Asparagus, Beef, Cheese, Fresh Pasta, its what's for dinner, Northampton

There were no leftovers in the fridge. We were too tired to cook. The table was covered in take-out menus and NOTHING was catching our attention. We were exhausted, hungry and couldn’t find or agree upon any food to fulfill our cravings.

My boyfriend, Benjamin, and I had just returned from skiing. I stared blankly at Northampton’s take out offerings. Everything was overpriced or I had eaten there too often. To make matters worse Benjamin flipped on Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations”, a show that is plain evil when you are hungry or filled with wanderlust (both of which described me).

There was Anthony gallivanting about Paris. Ten minutes in I caught both Benjamin and me salivating and on the verge of drooling. That ripe, oozing cheese looked so damn luscious. I wanted to jump through the screen, rip that delicious meat away from Anthony or Eric Ripert and scarf it down like some deprived, crazed wolf. My stomach started screaming. Benjamin jumped to his feet. “This is freaking Food Porn. I want all of it.” Next thing I knew I was in the car and off to Whole Foods Market for our own night of Food Porn. Our mission: Buy ingredients to fulfill our guiltiest food pleasures of the moment.

Forty dollars and an hour later, we were back in the kitchen with a veritable array of ingredients. The wine was open, the food was coming in waves and my hunger woos were cured.  Benjamin and I were laughing and smiling like crazed fools. I have always known that cooking makes me happy but something hit me that night. Benjamin noticed too:

The cook in action

 

“I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time! Why don’t you just cook all the time? You enjoy it. Those around you enjoy it. It is a win-win scenario. Whatever happened to that food, travel and agriculture blog you were going to start? ”

“There are way to many food blogs. Every bored woman or hipster with a keyboard and the munchies has one. Damn whiny Julie Powell already laid claim to writing about Julia.”

“Who cares?! Write it for yourself!” With that Benjamin shoved some caramelized onions (Ben’s absolute guilty food pleasure) in my mouth and effectively muted my other arguments.

So here I am…

I do not know exactly where I am going with this blog but I have thought about creating it often.  I will post an explanation of the blog name next. Growing Up Julia is a phrase that has been in my head for a while. Julia Child has been one of my greatest idols and mentors forever.  I have grown up with Julia, as though she were by my side, guiding me with her words of wisdom through her books, shows and other materials.

Just to clarify, the name is simply to pay homage to my culinary heroine. I will post some of my favorite recipes and tidbits about Julia, but the blog is not meant to be solely about her. Instead I see Julia Child as the starting point. In fact I think of the following quote of hers as a mission statement of sorts for this blog:

“Learn to cook–try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!”

— Julia Child (My Life in France)

So without further ado here is my night of fearless, culinary fun: BEHOLD THE NIGHT OF FOOD PORN:

D'Affinois Cheese with Medjool Dates

 

First: We had a divine appetizer of D’Affinois Cheese with sliced Medjool dates and toasted bread. Now I have my own luscious cheese, Bourdain! D’Affinois is one of those completely sensual, rich, smooth and incredible cheeses. The dates worked perfectly with the cheese despite my initial doubts.

Second: We picked two of Ben’s favorite comfort foods: Caramelized Onions and Beef. We seasoned some ground Sirloin beef with just salt and pepper and then added in diced onions and chunks of Cheddar Cheese. Once they were cooked, we topped them off with some caramelized onions and more cheese and served them on grilled

Mini Sirloin Burgers with Caramelized Onions and Cheddar

sourdough with Tierenteyn mustard.

Third: Time for pasta, which is easily in my top 5 favorite foods. I love making it. I love eating it. Simply put, it is God to me. No low-carb diets for this girl! A great sauce is a must for fresh pasta. We created our own take on a Primavera theme. We made the sauce with garlic, asparagus, Chanterelle mushrooms, tomatoes, butter, cream and plenty of Parmesan cheese. The Chanterelle mushrooms added a delightful smoky aroma to the tomato based cream sauce. It added an extra depth and dimesnsion that is normally absent in many versions of this dish. The kick from the red pepper made sure that there was just the right amount of heat to balance out the cream and cheese.

Asparagus waiting to be chopped

Late-Night Primavera

Ingredients:

• Salt
• Pepper
• A good bunch of asparagus, tough ends snapped off and then cut into 1” – 2” pieces.
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup of Chanterelle mushrooms (or as many as your heart desires)
• 2 large tomatoes, cored and then diced into chunks
• Red Pepper flakes to taste
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 pound fresh fettucine
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
• Lots of Parmesan cheese grated and added to taste

Instructions:

.       1. Bring water to boil in large stockpot for pasta; add 2 Tbl salt.  Fill a large bowl with ice water; set aside.

.       2. Add cut asparagus to boiling water in pot; cook 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon drain out the asparagus pieces and immediately transfer them into ice water bath to stop cooking; let sit until chilled, about 3 minutes. Drain well and set aside. Reserve the boiling water for the pasta.

.       3. Heat 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat until foamy in a saucepan. Add Chanterelle mushrooms and sauté until the flavor begins to fill your kitchen, 5 – 7 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and red pepper flakes, reduce heat to low, and simmer until tomatoes begin to lose their shape. Add cream and simmer until slightly thickened. Transfer to a bowl, set aside and cover.

.       4. Add fresh pasta to boiling water until pasta is al dente (it will float to the surface and should be done in about 3 minutes. ALWAYS test to make sure it is cooked the way you like before draining).

.       5. While the pasta is cooking add the remaining butter in the saucepan and heat until foamy. Add the garlic and sauté until the neighbors are banging at your door because of the amazing aroma about 1 minute. Next add the asparagus and cook until heated through and riddled with garlic flavor about 2 – 3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Then add the tomato, mushroom and cream sauce to the pan and bring  it back to temperature.

.       6. When the pasta is done, drain and add back to now-empty stockpot. Pour the sauce into the pot with pasta and toss well to coat over low heat. Serve portions into bowls and immediately cover with a decadent coating of Parmesan cheese.

Bon Appetit!

Late-Night Primavera