Cooking with Garlic Scapes
If you have never had garlic scapes, you don’t know what you are missing. Garlic scapes are the green shoots removed from hard-neck varieties of garlic. By removing the shoots, the bulbs will get bigger. So farmers and gardeners remove them. Garlic scapes curl as they grow, and are good served raw, or barely cooked. They are showing up at farm markets around here right now.
When cooked, the flavor mellows a lot. I love to steam garlic scapes for about 5 minutes, then just eat like fresh green beans, with butter and salt. I steamed a bunch of scapes the other day- then chopped them up and added to potato salad. So tasty!!
They have a rich, garlic flavor that is all the sweeter because of the short time they are around. Enjoy them when you can- they will be gone soon.
I sometimes use scapes in place of basil, in my pesto recipe, or combine them with parsley in a garlic scapes-parsley pesto. You can also combine the garlic scapes with cottage cheese in the blender- add a little lemon juice and hot sauce for a tasty dip. Here are some more recipes for cooking with garlic scapes.
Garlic Scapes Potato Salad
4-5 garlic scapes
2 lbs. red skinned potatoes*
½ cup minced sweet pepper
½ c. olive oil
½ c. apple cider vinegar
2 T. sugar
2 T. chopped parsley
2 t. fresh dill weed
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste
Steam the scapes for 5 minutes. Cool a little, and cut into ¾ -inch slices. You should end up with about 1½ of sliced scapes when done. Place in a medium bowl. Cook potatoes until tender. I baked mine in a microwave until tender and then cut into cubes. Baking them is also a nice way to cook the potatoes. You can also opt to cut into cubes first and boil the potatoes. Whatever method to cook the potatoes is fine with me. Take the potatoes, while still warm, and place in the bowl with the scapes. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a small bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Pour over warm potato mix, tossing to coat evenly. Adjust seasonings. Chill and serve. Serves 6-8.
* You can really use any potato you like.
Garlic Scape Pesto Sauce
1 c. chopped scapes – you can also use half scapes, half parsley
1/4 c. olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic
Salt to taste
1/2 c. pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pecans or walnuts
1 c. fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Combine all ingredients, except the cheese, in a blender and mix until smooth. Stir in the cheese and toss over hot, cooked pasta or use as a sauce on meat and poultry. Sauce will keep a few days in the fridge and makes about 1 1/2 cups, enough for 1 lb. of cooked pasta.
Lebanese Garlic Sauce
1/2 c. chopped garlic scapes
1 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups olive oil
In the container of a blender, combine the garlic scapes, lemon juice and salt. Blend at medium speed until smooth. Continue blending while pouring olive oil into the blender in a thin stream. The mixture should become thick and white almost like mayo. Store refrigerated in a glass container. Nice on hot pasta, cooked rice or grains or brushed on meats while cooking. It also is a great salad dressing.
Garlic Scapes with Broccoli
1 c. chopped garlic scapes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets, steamed 5 minutes, cooled
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
Place garlic scapes in a food processor with the salt and blend into a paste. Add olive oil, vinegar, and mustard. Pulse until smooth. Place garlic scapes mixture in a bowl and add the broccoli. Stir to coat. Chill for 3 hours to marinate, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving. Tastes even better the next day!!!
Candied Bacon
This candied bacon only has three ingredients- bacon, maple syrup and chopped nuts. The combination in sublime. Salty, sweet, smoky all in one crunchy bite. Friends and family love it!! This might be fun to make for Dad for Fathers’ Day.
The bacon is baked, then coated with maple syrup and chopped nuts. It is returned to the oven, where it bakes until the bacon is crisp and the coating it toasted, almost caramelized. It gets crisper once it cools down.
You can make a spicier version by sprinkling with a little cayenne pepper or adding hot sauce to the maple syrup.
Candied Bacon
1 lb bacon
3/4 c – 1 c maple syrup
3/4 c – 1 c crushed pecans (or any nuts you like! I like to leave some
larger pieces and then mix in some more finely ground)
Preheat oven to 350. Put bacon in baking pan and bake about halfway through (about 5-7 minutes or so). Drain most of the grease and allow to cool slightly. Coat each piece in syrup, roll in nuts and put back on pan. You may need more nuts as you go along, though it’s up to you how much to cover them. Bake another 7-9 minutes, until desired crispness. If you do like crisper bacon, just be sure to move the cooked bacon quickly off the baking sheet onto parchment paper, since the syrup will harden. Allow longer cooking times with thicker bacon.
French Sorrel
Sorrel is also known as French sorrel and garden sorrel. It’s a member of the dock family and its less cultivated relatives can be harvested in most any field. The sorrel grown in herb gardens produces larger leaves, and is milder in flavor, than its wild cousins. French sorrel produces large, pointed leaves on 6″ stems. When in flower, the plant sends up flower stalks that can reach more than 3′ in height.
Sorrel is a hardy perennial and will produce tasty leaves for many years, once established. It prefers full sun and well-drained soil. The leaves have a sour, almost lemony flavor that is used in dishes like sorrel soup. The lemony/sour flavor makes sorrel a natural match for seafood.
Young leaves can also be served raw in salads. To encourage new, tender growth sorrel can be cut back to the soil line. New leaves will start to grow soon after cutting back. Young sorrel leaves can be added to soups and sauces, egg or pasta dishes. Because sorrel leaves are high in oxalic acid, they should be eaten in moderation. Or, the leaves can be blanched and rinsed to reduce the oxalic acid.
Sorrel can be started from seed, either indoors or directly sown in the garden. You can also buy plants at garden centers that carry herbs. It can be hard to find plants in some areas.
When I was a kid, my Busha (Polish grandmother) would make sorrel soup from wild sorrel. I remember harvesting the tiny leaves in a field. She needed a brown paper grocery bag full for a batch of soup. You can imagine how delighted I was to discover that there was a domestic version I could grow at home- with much larger leaves.
Here are some of my favorite recipes using sorrel.
Sorrel Soup
2 medium onions, chopped
2 T. oil
2 lbs. potatoes. Peeled and cubed
1 rib celery, sliced
1 qt. chicken or vegetable stock
1 qt. milk
1/3 –1/2 c. flour
1 lb. Sorrel leaves, washed and spun dry, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
In soup pot sauté onions in oil until tender. Add vegetables, stock and 3 cups of the milk. Simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. In a container with a tight fitting lid place the flour with the remaining milk and shake until mixture is smooth. Pour into hot soup and simmer 3-4 minutes. Use more or less flour depending on how thick you like your soup. Toss in sorrel, adjust seasonings and serve. Garnish with snipped chives, if desired. Serves 6-8.
Sorrel Pesto
1 c. tightly-packed sorrel leaves
½ c. olive oil
3 – 4 cloves garlic
salt to taste
½ c. pine nuts, sunflower kernels, pecans or walnuts, toasted preferred
1 c. fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Hot sauced to taste
Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth. Adjust seasonings. Use with chicken or fish. Sorrel Pesto is also good on potatoes, or tossed in a spinach salad with some wine vinegar. Great on grilled vegetables, too!
Sorrel Sauce
½ c. mayo
½ c. sour cream or Greek yogurt
½ c. fresh chopped sorrel leaves
2 T. minced green onion
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
2 t. fresh lemon or lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
dash red hot pepper sauce
This sauce is good with fish and chicken or on baked potatoes. You can also use it as a dip with veggies.
Peach Scones
I’ve really been in the mood to make scones lately. Since I had some beautiful peaches, I decided to use them in the batter.
They worked out even better than I had hoped. I added cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves into the dough, for a little extra flavor. Nicely complimented the sweetness of the peaches.
These are wonderful for breakfast, brunch or with tea or coffee. They would also make a nice base for shortcake. I could see them with berries and whipped cream for a perfect summer dessert.
I used a 2 oz. cookie scoop and got 25 scones. You could make them bigger, just increase the baking time a couple of minutes. I also placed only one baking sheet in the oven at a time. You could put both in at once, but reverse the rack you have them on- half way through baking- so they bake more evenly. Also, if both trays are in the oven at once, increase baking time a couple of minutes.
Peach Scones
3 cups flour
½ c. sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
½ t. salt
10 T. cold butter (1 stick plus two tablespoons)
¾ c. half and half or milk
1 egg
1½ t. vanilla
1½ c. peeled, chopped peaches – about 3-4 peaches
Glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar
About 2-3 T. half and half
1 t. vanilla
Preheat oven to 425. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or use silicone liners. In a bowl, place the dry ingredients and stir to mix. Cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and stir in half and half, vanilla and egg. Stir to make a soft dough. Fold in peaches. Use ice cream scoop to make scones, placing scoops of dough onto baking sheets. Bake until browned – 14-16 minutes. Cool on a rack. Make glaze and dip tops of scones in glaze or drizzle it over them. Makes 22-25 depending on size.
Cherry and Blueberry Clafoutis
So what is clafoutis? Clafoutis is a sort of pancake, sort of custard, sort of quiche. It is a lovely dessert for fresh fruit, for sure.
You can serve clafoutis plain, or topped with powdered sugar or whipped cream. On a hot day, I like to serve it with a scoop of ice cream.
Clafoutis is really simple to make, too. You start by putting the fruit in a prepared pan. The batter is made in a blender, and takes just a couple of minutes to prepare. You pour the batter over the fruit- and bake.
I used cherries and blueberries in this one, but you can use all sorts of fruits- peaches, plums, raspberries…..
Most people enjoy it as a dessert, but it is also nice with that morning cup of coffee.
I used a combination I thought would make a nice dessert for summer.
Cherry and Blueberry Clafoutis
2 c. pitted cherries, I cut them in half, but you can leave whole
1 c. blueberries
3 eggs
1 c. sugar
3 T. melted butter
½ c. flour
2 t. vanilla extract
1 t. almond extract
pinch of salt
1 c. half and half
powdered sugar, optional
Grease a 9×9-inch baking dish or pie pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cherries and blueberries in the prepared pan. In blender, combine eggs, sugar, butter, flour, flavorings and salt.* Blend until smooth. Add half and half and blend again until smooth. Pour batter over the cherries and blueberries. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until clafoutis is browned around edges and puffed up. Allow to cool and dust with powdered sugar, if you like. It will deflate as it cools. Serves 6.
* You can whisk the ingredients together by hand, if you prefer.
Peach Skin Vodka
This is really a story about how I was raised. My mother and father both grew up in a time when people didn’t waste things. Both of them knew hard times growing up. I try to be like them in that way. I hate throwing out something that might serve some purpose.
While making a peach preserves and peach ice cream the other day, I was left with a pile of peach skins. I could toss them in the compost pile, but I knew they had a lot of flavor in them. I decided to make peach liqueur with them instead.
I just put the peach skins in a Mason jar- I had about 2 cups – and covered them with 3 cups of vodka. I put the lid on the jar and set it in a cabinet. In a few weeks, I’ll strain it out, then pour the mixture through coffee filters to get out anything that will make it cloudy. Could not be easier. I’ll have lovely peach flavored vodka that I can leave as is, or sweeten if I prefer. I could also have used brandy. You can add a cinnamon stick or vanilla bean to the jar for additional flavor.
Thinking this will make a great ingredient for a cocktail in the near future.
So the lesson here is just to think twice before tossing. Sometimes, what might seem like something of little or no value, could have another purpose.
Shrimp Salad with Couscous and Dill
Couscous is one of those foods that is as much fun to say as it is to eat. Couscous is just very tiny pasta. To cook it, you pour boiling water or stock over it- and give the couscous a few minutes to absorb the water. So easy, and nice on a hot day, when you don’t want to do a lot of cooking.
For this salad I combined the couscous with shrimp, some fresh dill and a light dressing. I had some sunflower sprouts, so I added them to the top- just for fun. I also served my salad on a bed of fresh salad greens.
Couscous Salad with Shrimp and Dill
½ c. olive oil
¼ c. fresh lemon juice
1 clove minced garlic
1 t. celery seed
2 c. couscous, about 10 oz.
2 ¼ c. boiling water or vegetable broth
1 lb. peeled cooked shrimp 1 c. diced sweet red pepper
½ c. chopped green onions
2 T. fresh dill weed or 2 t. dried
Whisk first 4 ingredients together for dressing. Place couscous in heat proof bowl and pour over the boiling water. Let stand until water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add remaining ingredients, stirring to mix well. Pour over dressing and toss to coat. Chill at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. 6 Servings.
Strawberry Vanilla Jam
Once you taste homemade jam, you will understand why it is worth the effort to make your own. Homemade jams, preserves and jellies are a great way to save seasonal fruits to enjoy all year. They also make nice gifts.
One of my favorite homemade jams is strawberry. I like the addition of a little vanilla to my strawberry jam. I think it adds an additional layer of flavor, without covering up the natural beauty of the berries. Of course, you can omit the vanilla, if you prefer.
I try to make enough to last all year, but I end up running out quickly. This jam is great on toast, but also a nice addition to several desserts I make.
With local berries in season now, it is a perfect time to make a batch, or two.
In grocery stores, berries are often sold in one pound packages, not in quarts. A quart of strawberries should weigh 1 1/4 pounds. That should help you figure out how many berries you will need.
Here is the recipe.
Strawberry-Vanilla Jam
2 qts. strawberries, stemmed, washed and crushed (2 1/2 lbs.)
2 T. pure vanilla
1 package dry pectin
1/4 c. lemon juice
7 cups sugar
Combine berries, vanilla, pectin and lemon juice in large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Add sugar and turn heat up to high. Stir often until mixture comes to a boil. Boil hard one minute stirring constantly. Ladle hot jam in to jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims and screw on lids comfortably tight. Place in boiling water bath and process 10 minutes. Remove to cooling rack, towel or wooden surface to cool. Makes 8-9 half pints.
Strawberry Ice Cream Cake Roll
This is the perfect summer dessert. Fresh berries, a light, citrus-scented cake and ice cream. What more could you want?
When you say cake roll, I think a lot of people first think of a pumpkin roll or perhaps a Buche de Noel (yule log). There are so many more desserts you can make with them. Cake rolls can be made in many flavors and they can be filled with custard, frosting, fruit, ice cream and more.
For this sponge cake roll, I used homemade strawberry ice cream to fill it, recipe follows. You could use store bought ice cream, if you prefer.
Start with the sponge cake roll recipe below, and use whatever flavor ice cream you like. You’ll need about a quart of ice cream- or a little more.
Once finished, you just wrap it up and pop the cake in the freezer until needed. Great to have on hand for summer parties and cook outs. You can decorate with fresh berries when serving. Blueberries would make this a fun red, white and blue dessert for Memorial Day or the 4th of July.
Sponge Cake Roll
This sponge cake roll can be filled with whipped cream or ice cream, or use your favorite filling.
5 eggs, separated
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2/3 cup cake flour*
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons melted butter
Beat egg yolks until thicken and lemon colored; gradually add 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar, the lemon juice and the lemon zest. Beat egg whites until almost stiff then gradually beat in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Fold yolk mixture into whites. Sift dry ingredients into a separate container; add to egg mixture, folding in carefully. Fold in melted butter. Pour batter into waxed paper-lined 10x15x1-inch jelly roll pan. Bake at 375° for 12 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. Turn onto a clean kitchen towel which has been generously dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Trim edges, if necessary; roll cake up, towel and all, while still warm. Let cool completely. Unroll and fill with whipped cream or ice cream then re-roll cake. The trick is to let the ice cream soften up a few minutes before spreading it on the cake. But don’t wait too long. Rather than trying to let the ice cream get soft enough to spread I used a spatula to sort of cut slices of ice cream and place them on the cake. Store ice cream cake roll in freezer until ready to slice and serve.
*If you don’t have cake flour you can make your own. Measure out a cup of all purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons of flour and replace them with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. For larger amounts place 7 cups of flour in a bowl and combine with 1 cup of cornstarch. Mix well or even sift together. Store in an airtight container.
Strawberry Ice Cream
2 c. chopped strawberries
1 c. sugar
1 T. vanilla
2 c. cream or half and half or a combination. You can also use some milk or even almond or rice milk.
Additional sugar to taste
Place strawberries, vanilla and sugar in saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and chill. Combine chilled berry mixture with cream. Add additional sugar if you like. Remember that once it is frozen the ice cream will not taste as sweet so make this mixture a little sweeter than you want the final product to be. How much sugar you add varies with personal taste, and how sweet the berries are. Place in an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s directions. Once finished put in an air- tight container and place in freezer. Makes about 1 quart.
Cool Summer Dining
It is going to be very hot today and the rest of the week. Here are some ideas to help you stay cool while cooking and eating. Recipes for some “cool” dishes are at the end of the post.
Some tips to keep you cool.
Buy a roasted chicken at your local store. Now you have a healthy entree and can round out dinner with a salad and some bread. Also the leftovers can make great salads or sandwiches for additional meals.
Use the microwave for cooking potatoes or rice. It will not heat up the kitchen as much as conventional cooking methods and rice and potatoes make a good base for salads. I often steam veggies in my microwave. I have even been known to cook pasta in my microwave. The pasta thing is a little trickier. Ramen cooks great in the microwave, as does smaller pasta, (orzo, small shells, macaroni). Haven’t had as much success with larger pasta.
Cook once, use twice. Cook a double batch of meat, dried beans, pasta, rice, vegetables, whatever. Freeze or refrigerate the extra for another day so you don’t have to cook it twice.
Grill whenever possible. It keeps the kitchen cool, is generally a healthy way to cook and let’s be honest, food tastes better when grilled!!
Be a seasonal cook. Market prices on seasonal vegetables and fruits are generally lower and the flavor of fresh produce can’t be beat. Use them in salads, desserts and on the grill. If you or family members have a garden, plan menus around the bounty that nature provides at this time of year.
Re-invent the sandwich. Go beyond peanut butter and jelly on white bread. Use interesting breads like multigrain, pita, tortillas, and bagels. French bread etc. Then get a little creative with the fillings. Try crabmeat salad, or turkey ham with artichoke. Try grilling a whole Portobello mushroom cap and serving with grilled onions and cheese. You can just pile up vegetables and have a sort of tossed salad sandwich.
Spill the beans. Canned beans are a quick way to make a summer salad more filling, or to make any one of a number of fun dishes. Just drain and rinse for high protein, high fiber and no-cook ingredients.
Pastamania! There are so many new and exciting pastas on the market take advantage and try one of them in an old recipe to dress it up. Pasta cooks quickly and can be cooked ahead of time. Pasta come in many flavors, colors and shapes and can easily add interest to your summer menu. Fresh pasta cooks even faster than dried pasta. You can even make a batch of homemade pasta.
Drink up. With warmer weather comes the need for more fluids. Drink plenty of water, but also enjoy lemonade, iced herbal teas and sparkling fruit juices. Watch out for alcohol and caffeine laden beverages as they act as diuretics and can dry you out. These should be enjoyed in moderation in hot weather and never after times of strenuous activity when your body needs water the most.
Fresh fruit is often the nicest dessert. Fruit salads or kabobs can be served along with homemade sorbets and smoothies.
Here are a few recipes you might enjoy on a hot day!!
Bok Choy and Leftover Rice Salad
4 T. oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2-3 c. sliced bok choy- I used baby bok choy, but use what you like
2 c. cold cooked rice
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
½ of a sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
1 green onion, sliced
Dressing:
1/3 c. rice wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar
2 T. oil
2 T. chopped parsley or cilantro
1 T. sugar
1 t. soy sauce
1 t. sesame oil
1 t. fresh grated ginger
Salt and hot sauce to taste
In skillet, sauté garlic for a couple of minutes, being careful not to burn it. Add bok choy and stir fry a few more minutes, just until bok choy wilts a little, but is still crisp. In medium bowl place the bok choy/garlic mixture, being sure to include the oil used in cooking. Add rice and veggies to boy choy mix. In small jar, with a tight fitting lid, place the dressing ingredients. Secure lid and shake until well mixed. Pour over the rice mixture and stir until well mixed. Chill a few hours or overnight before serving. Serves 4-6.
Note: You can make this a main dish salad by adding a little protein. Cooked chicken or shrimp are great. For a vegetarian version- scrambled eggs or edamame work well, too.
Thai Chicken Salad
1 (3 lb.) chicken, cooked, skinned, meat shredded
8 oz. angel hair pasta, cooked and drained
2 T. coarsely shredded fresh mint leaves
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
1 tomato
1/2 c. olive oil
1 garlic clove
1/2 t. red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 T. plus 1 t. soy sauce
1 T. plus 1 t. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 t. brown sugar
Lettuce leaves for lining the platter
Place chicken meat and pasta in bowl and combine. Mix remaining ingredients, except lettuce, in blender until smooth and toss with chicken mixture. Salad can be served immediately or chilled. Line serving platter with lettuce leaves and spoon over chicken mixture. Serves 4.
Open-Faced Pork and Apple Sandwiches
4 slices roast pork
Salt and pepper to taste
2 oz. cream cheese
2 T. mayonnaise
4 slices rye bread
4 slices Swiss cheese
1 crisp apple, sliced thin
Season pork slices and set aside. Combine cream cheese and mayonnaise and spread on bread slices. Top with cheese, then pork and finish with apple slices. Serves 4.
Italian Bread Salad
1 lb. Loaf, day old crusty bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
5-6 plum tomatoes, sliced
½ English cucumber, sliced
1 c. sliced sweet onion
2/3 c. olive oil
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
3 T. balsamic vinegar
¼ c. fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
2 t. Italian seasoning
In large bowl toss together bread cubes and vegetables. Combine remaining ingredients in a smaller bowl and pour over the bread mixture, tossing to coat well. Be sure that all the bread gets coated. Serves 6-8.
Greek Eggplant Salad
1 medium eggplant
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small onion, minced
1/3 c. olive oil
¼ c. red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Sliced ripe olives and chopped fresh parsley
Broil or grill eggplant until skin has blackened. Cool. Rub skin off the eggplant with a damp paper towel and chop the pulp. Combine eggplant with remaining vegetables in bowl. Combine dressing ingredients in blender until smooth and toss over eggplant mixture. Chill and garnish with olives and parsley. Serves 3-4.
