Tag Archives: garlic

Sides, Vegetarian

Garlic Scapes – 2 Recipes

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Garlic Scapes – 2 Recipes

I recently did a post on Garlic Scapes. At the time I didn’t know what they were but got some feedback from subscribers who were familiar with them. I found scapes at a local greenmarket and was able to try the Italy Magazine recipe that I referred to, as well as another recipe that I got at the green market. 
Here’s the recipe directly from Italy Magazine:Garlic Scapes – 2 Recipes
Ingredients
  • 1 pound (454g) garlic scapes
  • 2 cups (470g) white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Equipment: 2 sterilized pint-size (1/2 L) jars
Preparation:
  1. Cut the scapes into 2-inch (5 cm) lengths, removing any tough parts at the bottom and the thinnest part at the top above the small bulbous tip.
  2. Bring the vinegar to a boil over medium-high heat in a saucepan large enough to hold the scapes. Stir in the salt and let it dissolve. Add the scapes to the pot and cover. Boil, stirring once or twice, until the scapes have lost their bright green color, 4 to 5 minutes.Garlic Scapes – 2 Recipes
  3. Drain the scapes in a colander set in the sink. Spread them out on a clean kitchen towel and let dry for about 1 hour. Shuffle them around a few times so they dry on all sides.Garlic Scapes – 2 Recipes
  4. Pack the scapes into the jars, leaving 1 inch headspace. Cover the scapes completely with oil, pressing down on the scapes to submerge them. Screw the lids on tightly and let rest at room temperature for 24 hours.
  5. Transfer the scapes to the refrigerator and let cure for one week before using. Store in the refrigerator for up to 12 weeks. To serve, remove from the jar only as many scapes as you plan to use and let them come to room temperature. Top off the jar with more oil as needed to keep the remaining scapes submerged.  Serve  on  sandwiches, in salads or in an antipasto.  Garlic Scapes – 2 Recipes
This is the recipe I got at the green market for sautéed garlic scapes:
Ingredients:
  • 1 bunch of garlic scapes
  • Olive oil for sautéing
  • Salt and black pepper
Preparation:
  1. Same as above – Cut the scapes into 2-inch (5 cm) lengths, removing any tough parts at the bottom and the thinnest part at the top above the small bulbous tip.
  2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add cut scapes and boil for 5 minutes (no need to dry them as thoroughly as above).
  3. Sauté in olive oil with salt and pepper. Serve as a  side dish, on a sandwich or in an omlette. Garlic Scapes – 2 Recipes

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Miscellaneous

Garlic Scapes

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Garlic Scapes

I’ve never heard of ‘garlic scapes’ and don’t know where to find them but here’s a recipe that I’d like to try.  An article in Italy Magazine explains it.

Zolle Sott’Olio | Pickled Garlic Scapes in Oil

by Domenica Marchetti

“Zolle sott’olio ~ pickled garlic scapes preserved in oil ~ are a specialty of Sulmona, a picturesque medieval city ringed by mountains in Abruzzo. The city is mostly famous for confetti, those candy-coated almond confections you see at Italian weddings, and for being the birthplace of the poet Ovid. . .”
See the whole article and recipe here. Garlic Scapes

 

Garlic Scapes

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Miscellaneous

Cooking with Garlic

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Paul Scorvino slicing garlic in Martin Scorsese’s Good Fellas

 

Cooking with Garlic

Cooking with Garlic

Lots of people think that all Italian food MUST be made with tons of garlic. That’s a myth started by Italian restaurants that served mostly non-Italians. Garlic is a useful aromatic. It makes certain recipes taste better but it should never overwhelm the dish.

Sauteing it slowly and over low heat is the best way to get its flavor. It softens but doesn’t brown. A hint of golden color is fine but brown means burnt and bitter. Minced garlic cloves burn more quickly then sliced, so sliced is easier to work with. Large chunky slices are useful sometimes because you can see them and avoid eating them (if you want to).

Everybody knows I’m into kitchen gadgets so at Christmas and birthdays I get some interesting ones. Here are two that are basically miniature mandolins for garlic. They both work well and make easily make thin, even slices.Cooking with Garlic

Cooking with Garlic

A micro-plane is quick and convenient. It makes a fine pulp. A garlic press does the same but eliminates the garlic fibers and adds a more gentle flavor.Cooking with Garlic

Cooking with Garlic

. . . or you can do it like Paul Scorvino with a razor or use a standard utility knife the old fashioned way like my mother and aunts did. A sharp knife and years of practice is all you’ll need.Cooking with Garlic

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Condiments, Vegetarian

Pepperoncini

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Pepperoncini

Pepperoncini don’t have the intensity of jalapenos but still provide a good sparkle to many dishes. Wash, dry and place fresh (not pickled) green pepperoncini in an open work basket or string them together and hang them (out of direct sunlight). They’ll eventually turn dark red and become dry and brittle.

green peppers 2
Fresh Green Pepperoncini

 

dried pep 2
Dried Pepperoncini

 

– Dried Pepperoncini Paste #1 -Heat about 1/4 cup olive oil; add 3 cloves of garlic and 10 crumbled dry peppers (remove stem, core and some seeds). Keep the heat low and don’t burn it. When the peppers and garlic darken a little put everything, including the oil in a food processor with a teaspoon of salt and grind until it’s a paste. Add more oil if needed. Put it back in the pan and heat until it dries. This works as a condiment on various dishes where you’d normally sprinkle red pepper flakes.

– Dried Pepperoncini Paste #2 -Start with dried pepperincini. Take off the stems and soak in water overnight – include seeds and ribs. Drain well and put in food processor with oil. Chop and add oil until it’s a paste. One suggested use: Add paste and some pasta water to pan when making Pasta Aglio e Olio (pasta w/ garlic & oil). Finish cooking pasta in the sauce and serve with toasted breadcrumbs.

– They’re great crumbled and fried with eggs,

– They can be eaten plain too. Remove the stem and the core of seeds. Give them a quick fry in hot olive oil. Their color will change from red to light brown. Let them cool and eat them like potato chips.

– Powdered pepperoncini– grind red pepper flakes in a blender until powered, Basilicata style. Be careful not to inhale when you uncover the blender or you’ll cough like a cat with a hairball. If you don’t dry your own peppers, you can used store-bought red pepper flakes for this one.

rigatoni marinara
Powdered pepperoncini

 

– One last suggestion – take one or two fresh green peperoncini and remove the stem and seeds. Cut it into pieces small enough to fit into a bottle and then fill with virgin olive oil.  Allow it a week or so to infuse and use this oil to drizzle on soups, meat or seafood dishes.