A homemade variation on the store-bought jar of minced garlic, this pesto is an excellent addition to sauces and dressings. The basic recipe was developed after a mass harvest of scapes with the intention of freezing most of the end product. Ingredients were measured by weight, but precise measurements aren’t necessary for delicious results.
Ingredients
Garlic scapes
Olive oil
Salt
Preparation
- Trim the tips of the scapes about an inch past the bud. While the entire scape is edible, the tips are less flavorful and more fibrous, thus requiring more time in the food processor.
- By hand or with scissors, snap or cut scapes into 2-3 inch pieces.
- Weigh scapes, then measure out half that weight in olive oil.*
- Combine in food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Add salt to taste, pinch by pinch. A little goes a long way.
- To store, refrigerate in an airtight container. Freeze whatever will not be consumed within a few days. Using smaller jars for long-term storage ensures that pesto is divided into manageable amounts.
*Our harvest yielded nearly 10 lbs of scapes. Processing them in 2.5 lb batches nicely accommodated the capacity of a standard-sized food processor. Accordingly, each batch used 1.25 lbs of olive oil.