This weekend, I was gifted a big bag of beautiful garlic scapes by my friend Tracey who operates a garlic and hops farm in B.C. I don’t know how many times these beauties went to waste when I received them in my farm box just because I didn’t really know what to do with them! As Tracy recommended, I made pesto, lots of pesto, enough to freeze for several months! Garlic scapes are essentially the flower bud of the garlic plant. The bud is removed in late June to encourage the bulbs to thicken up. They make a delicious pesto processed with pumpkin seeds, basil, salt, pepper, olive oil, and nutritional yeast.
Serves 2
The pesto:
- 10 garlic scapes (roughly chopped)
- 1/2 cup of fresh basil
- 1/4 cup of raw pumpkin seeds
- 3/4 tsp. of salt (more to taste)
- lots of freshly cracked pepper
- 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
In a food processor combine garlic scapes pumpkin seeds, basil, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast until roughly chopped. Drizzle in the olive oil with the motor still running until fairly smooth but with still a bit of texture. Add more salt if desired. Set aside.
The Zucchini Pasta:
To the make the pasta you will need a spiralizer. They run around $45.00 or so and are the most fun you will ever have in your kitchen!!
- 3 medium sized organic zucchini
- 1/2 tsp. of himalayan pink salt
You can peel the zucchini if desired but I like to keep the skin on for colour and nutrition. Cut the ends off to create a nice flat surface. Spiralize the zucchini using the smallest blades to resemble spaghetti. Place the spiralized zucchini into a bowl with a good sprinkling of salt. Massage it with your hands to distribute the salt evenly. Let it sit for about 20 min. allowing the zucchini to release moisture. As it sits, it also tenderizes to resemble pasta in texture. While it sits, prepare the tomatoes.
The Tomatoes:
- 2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil
- a sprinkle of himalayan pink salt
- balsamic vinegar to garnish
Combine the tomatoes, basil, and salt in a small bowl.
Gently squeeze out the zucchini with your hands and rinse to wash off the excess salt.
Place it back in the bowl and then toss with about 1/4 cup of the pesto. Massage it well with your hands to coat the noodles completely, adding more if necessary. Arrange the noodles on two plates. Top with the tomato basil mixture, additional basil if desired, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil, and lots of fresh cracked pepper.
Enjoy!