June 16 :: Garlic Scape Time

Hello there!

I've just finished harvesting all the scapes off of my hardneck garlic varieties and my hands smell like i've been chopping garlic cloves in the kitchen.

softneck garlic variety = no scapes

hardneck garlic varieties = lots of scapes

Scapes are the flowers of the garlic plant and they shoot up from the stem late in the spring, nearly into the beginning of summer here in Maine. You can leave them on and let the plant flower, but most farmers and gardeners cut the scapes off causing the plant to reinvest the nutrients it would have spent on the flower back into the root instead. This makes sense with garlic because the root, or bulb or head, is the part of the plant that we eat.

Luckily, you can eat the scapes, too! Cut them from the plant before they get too thick and curly, chop them into bite sized lengths and they are a tender, garlicky addition to any stir fry or sautéed dish. I bet you can boil or steam them, too. Check at your local farmer's market or the best grocery market in your neighborhood - they should have some scapes for you to buy and try.

Today's garden bounty: garlic scapes, french tarragon branches, chives and chive blossoms

That's all for now. More to contemplate and crunch next week!

Grow on,

Tyler