garlic scapes

i first saw garlic scapes in my one straw farm CSA share last year. they are like garlic, only milder and they come in season earlier than garlic. to me, they look sort of sculptural…beautiful, actually. as i walked out of the farmers market this morning, three people stopped me to ask what they were and how to use it. since joan norman had schooled me in this [and so many other areas] i told them i’d planned to make white bean dip…and but you can use it in lots of other ways. here are some ideas.

here is the recipe i used for the dip – really, really good. i took the blogger’s advice and added more beans and it came out great. distinct garlic taste, but not overwhelming. i also recommend blanching the scapes before you puree them if you want a more mellow garlic flavor. i dipped into mine with some warm, soft sour dough bread.

white bean and garlic scapes dip

by melissa clark, new york times
time: 15 minutes

1/3 cup sliced garlic scapes [3 to 4] 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, more to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 can [15 ounces] cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
[note: add a second can of bean if you want it to be less garlic-y] 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling

1.in a food processor, process garlic scapes with lemon juice, salt and pepper until finely chopped. add cannellini beans and process to a rough purée.

2. with motor running, slowly drizzle olive oil through feed tube and process until fairly smooth. pulse in 2 or 3 tablespoons water, or more, until mixture is the consistency of a dip. add more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice, if desired.

3. spread out dip on a plate, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with more salt.
yield: 1 1/2 cups