Gastrocast #60Scapes come in many forms. They are the flowering stem of hardneck garlic and in the case of the photo–shallots. Their window of availability is now: end of May through mid-June. They are the by-product of the farmer’s desire to have his garlic bulb. By cutting the scape off the energy goes to the garlic head, or bulb, instead of the flower.
Once thrown away, a new awareness has come about that they are delicious to eat, easy to prepare and profitable for anyone who grows garlic. However, every year CSA subscribers find themselves with more scapes than they know what to do with or how to cook. There are very few recipes for them on the web, and most of those are the same.

Have a listen to Gastrocast #60 for some alternative ways to cook this wonderful vegetable with its slight crunch and mild hint of garlic sweetness. Of course the podcast is free, but you have to listen to me rant about the cost of fuel, what it will do to our food scene, and why now–more than ever–we must buy from local and sustainable sources.

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