Scapes are the immature seeds heads of garlic bulbs. They are rich in nutrients, sweet and delicious. Garlic scapes make a flavorful pesto for stirring into pasta, as a topping for crudités (fresh vegetable appetizers), on sandwiches and Portabella mushroom burgers.

If you want nice plump garlic bulbs, you must remove the scape as soon as it emerges from the centre of the garlic plant. Just snap it off and the plant will put its energy into growing a large bulb instead of a seed head.

Here’s our favourite way to use up your fresh garlic scapes.

Ingredients

6 to 10 (depending on size) fresh garlic scapes, chopped small

1 to 1 ½ cups fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup up to 1 cup cold pressed unrefined olive oil

juice of ½ fresh lemon

3/4 cup fresh pine nuts, substitute hemp seeds or raw organic cashews

Generous pinch of unrefined sea salt to taste

Method

Blend all ingredients together in food processor until smooth. Add more or less olive oil to achieve smooth consistency as desired. Refrigerate until serving time or freeze in ice cube trays for later.