Summer Scapes

I spied bunches of gnarled green stems at last Saturday's market for the first time and couldn't take my eyes off them. They curl and twist like ribbon. 


They're garlic scapes, the stem of a hard neck garlic. I took their photo, but didn't buy any only because I didn't have a clue what to do with them. So, I checked out some food savvy blogging sites. 


They have a mild garlic taste and can be pickled, roasted on pizza or chopped up in a vinaigrette. The recipe that appealed most to me, was a garlic scape pesto recipe from Dorie Greenspan. 


These are a quick season treat so I hope the harvest holds out until Saturday so I can pick some up. 


GARLIC SCAPE AND ALMOND PESTO

by Dorie Greenspan

Makes about 1 cup

10 garlic scapes, finely chopped

1/3 to 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan (to taste and texture)

1/3 cup slivered almonds (you could toast them lightly, if you'd like)

About 1/2 cup olive oil

Sea salt

Put the scapes, 1/3 cup of the cheese, almonds and half the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor (or use a blender or a mortar and pestle).  Whir to chop and blend all the ingredients and then add the remainder of the oil and, if you want, more cheese.  If you like the texture, stop; if you'd like it a little thinner, add some more oil.  Season with salt.

If you're not going to use the pesto immediately, press a piece of plastic against the surface to keep it from oxidizing. The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days or packed airtight and frozen for a couple of months, by which time tomatoes should be at their juciest.

Family Farm For Reals

The market was bustling today. We had visiting Grandma and Grandpa, two aunts and an uncle and one cousin helping us out.

Our harvest included kale, lettuce, spinach, radish and onions. We sold out of the onions and radishes, but have some kale left. We're making kale and spinach lasagna tomorrow for a family feast.

The biggest highlights today were the Palisade cherries that sold out at a stall just down the lane from us. People were lined up first thing this morning to get the fruit. They were a hot commodity and gone before noon.

Two famous, local chefs were on scene today doing cooking demos. Hosea Rosenberg of Blackbelly Catering and Tim Payne of Terroir Restaurant hosted a farm-to-table demo at noon. They were a bit outshined by rain and stormy skies.

 We added a "Youth Farmer" sign to the tent so everyone can see Patrick.

 He was up at the crack of dawn picking lettuce, kale and spinach with Dirk.

We had a handful of previous customers come by to tell us the plants they bought from us are thriving. That was cool news to hear. We've gingered these plants in our living room since the beginning of the spring so it was reassuring to hear they're doing so well for other people, too.

We're having kale chips tonight for dinner. Make some. They're incredibly easy and addictive.

Kale Chips 
1 bunch of kale
Olive oil
Salt
Cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray or rub oil on a cookie sheet.

Wash, dry and destem kale along central vein.

Tear apart kale into two inch pieces.

Place on sheet and season to taste.

Cook until kale crisps and browns up. It happens quickly. Keep an eye on it. Then enjoy!