Maybe it’s the iffy weather of early June that has extended their season.
Maybe it’s the increased awareness of all things locally grown.
Whatever the reason, scapes are big this year. I’ve seen them at the farmers markets. I’ve noticed more food bloggers chatting them up. And just last week, my own son plucked a handful of them from his small leeks patch and sauteed a batch for our dinner.
If you haven’t gotten in on the phenomena, then let me enlighten you: Onion scapes are the long and slender flower stalks that members of the allium family (leeks, onions, chives and garlic, for example) send up from their underground bulbs each spring.
Garlic scapes form delightful loop-de-loops, while leeks and other types of onions have straight, slender stems.
There’s a flower bud at the top where the seeds have gathered. In fact, if you’re saving seeds, you better be sure that you’ve got plenty of them before you start carving off next year’s harvest for tonight’s dinner.
Grilled garlic or onion scapes with hazelnut aillade
For the aillade:
1/2cup dark roasted hazelnuts, skinned
8-10 medium-sized cloves fresh garlic, smashed and peeled
1/2teaspoon salt
2tablespoons warm water
1/4teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2cup hazelnut oil (optional, use canola oil if unavailable)
For the scapes:
Several stems of garlic or onion scapes, cut into 6-inch long pieces
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4cup of good-quality mayonnaise
To prepare the aillade: place the hazelnuts, garlic, salt and water in a blender. Process, scraping down the sides of the jar as necessary, until the mixture is chopped (it will appear very rugged at this point). Add 1/4 cup of the oil and continue blending until the mixture is very smooth. With the motor running, add the remaining 1/4 cup of oil, drop by drop, until you have a thick and velvety sauce, which has the texture of a soft mayonnaise. Scrape the sauce into a jar and cover. It will keep for weeks in the refrigerator.
To prepare the scapes: Brush each stem with some olive oil and either roast on the grill or in the oven (400 degrees) until lightly browned and tender. Alternatively, you could saute them in a bit of olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet until lightly browned and tender.
To serve, whisk together the mayonnaise with 1/4 cup of the hazelnut aillade and place a dollop of that mixture on to each serving. Alternatively, pass the sauce at the table.
Makes about 1 cup of hazelnut aillade.
White bean and onion scapes dip
6-7 inches of an onion or garlic scape stem (sliced into 1/4-inch wide pieces to measure 1/2 cup)
1/4cup plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste
1/2teaspoon sea salt or other corase-grained salt
Ground black pepper to taste
1can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Crostini or freshly sliced baguette for dipping
Fresh vegetables for dipping
In a small skillet, over medium-high heat, saute the scape slices in about 2 teaspoons of the olive oil until lightly browned and tender. Remove from heat.
In a food processor or blender, combine the sauteed scapes with the lemon juice, salt, pepper and beans. Process to a rough puree. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in enough of the olive oil to reach a spreading consistency. Adjust seasoning, adding salt, pepper and/or lemon juice as necessary.
To serve, spoon the dip into the center of a plate, spreading it out slightly. Drizzle with some of the olive oil and a light sprinkling of sea salt. Arrange crusty slices from a baguette, or crostini around the edges, along with some fresh vegetables.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Bruschetta with onion scapes, tomato, bacon, arugula and Gorgonzola topping
8(1/2-inch thick) slices good-quality crusty Italian-style bread
1garlic clove, peeled and halved
3ripe medium-sized tomatoes, chopped and drained
6tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (see note below)
3slices bacon, fried, drained, minced
1/4cup fresh arugula, finely chopped
1/3cup sliced and sauteed onion scapes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
About 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
2teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Grill or toast the bread until nicely browned on both sides. Rub with the cut garlic.
About 10 minutes before serving, combine the tomatoes, olive oil, bacon, arugula and onion scapes in a small bowl. Toss gently and season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
To serve: Spoon the mixture onto the grilled bread. Top each serving with a portion of the Gorgonzola, and then drizzle a bit of the balsamic vinegar. Place the slices onto a hot grill (or into a hot oven) and cook just until the Gorgonzola begins to melt and the bottom of the bread begins to toast. Serve immediately.
Makes 8 generous appetizers.
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her by e-mail at janrd@proaxis.com, or obtain additional recipes and food tips on her blog at www.janrd.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
