An Introduction To Garlic Scapes

While I love to go to the market and find beautiful renditions of familiar fruits and vegetables, what I love even more is encountering new products and learning how to incorporate them into my cooking: case in point, Garlic Scapes. These snake-like little stalks of immature garlic are tender and said to have a milder flavor than the mature garlic cloves that we are all familiar with; though that has not been my experience. To me, Garlic Scapes have a much more pronounced garlic taste then the cloves but that pungency is what makes them unique.


To use Garlic Scapes, first remove the “head” – if left to mature, this head would be where the garlic cloves matured, but in the Scape’s immature state, it is not ready to eat. Then, simply chop the stalk of the Scape as would be a green onion.


"Head" of the Scape


Chopped Scape Stalks

Garlic Scapes are excellent additions to salads and stir frys, but they are also fantastic in pesto, pasta or as an accompaniment to fried eggs.


Garlic Scape Pappardelle Pasta

Making Cherry Season Last

There is nothing like the taste of a fresh cherry. Every summer I wait, somewhat impatiently, for them to arrive at the market. Yet no matter how many I manage to eat over the short time they are in season, I never feel as though it's enough to quench my hunger. Even though their fresh taste is short lived, this quick and easy recipe will hopefully be a way to let the sweet taste of summer that cherries embody linger a little longer in your fridge.


CANDIED CHERRIES
Adapted from David Lebovitz's Ready for Dessert

2 cups pitted cherries
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the syrup has thickened. Mr. Lebovitz suggests that the syrup is done when it resembles the consistency of warm honey.


Cool cherries in their syrup and transfer to a jar to refrigerate for up to six months. Since candied cherries are very sweet, they are best used in moderation. Try topping ice cream with them and their syrup or chopping the cherries and adding them to frozen yogurt or gelato in the last minute of churning. Similarly, the cherries can also be chopped and added to cookies or brownies for an extra bit of sweetness.