Garlic Scape season caught me by surprise this year, since they're in a far corner of our field and appeared as if out of nowhere, which made it all the more exciting.
If you've had Scapes before, you may have been looking forward to this moment. If you haven't, you might be scratching your head. A Garlic Scape is simply the flower shoot of hardneck garlic varieties, which is most of what we grow. We remove these to put more energy into our now forming garlic bulbs, and we bundle them up for a delicious seasonal treat. Garlic Scapes taste like garlic, but with the texture of asparagus. I've also recently learned that since they're low FODMAP, so if you have trouble digesting garlic, this is a fantastic way to enjoy it's flavor without consequence.
They're great grilled and served on top of anything, but one of my favorite ways to enjoy and preserve them is in Garlic Scape Pesto. You can find the link to a great recipe here on our website. (PS, we're building a collection of farm favorite recipes on our site this year, check them out!)
A note on Napa...
This season we planted more extra-early, extra hardy field crops than ever, in an effort to safeguard ourselves from crazy spring shenanigans that might jeopardize our produce availability this time of year. One was a tad disappointing, our Napa Cabbage was looking good, but due to the extreme cold and then much warmer temperatures it experienced, it decided to try to flower instead of head. Most of this planting was a loss, but some of it did form heads, and flowers at the same time. But they're so dang beautiful we want to offer it to you anyway. Here's a little brassica info for ya:
All brassicas (kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage) eventually send up a flower shoot. Sometimes this is sold as Raab or Rapini when it's young, and is actually very special. Mostly, though, we pick them before this happens. Our limited availability Napa this week has sweet little flowers poking out of their centers, but the heads are still perfectly usable, and the flowers won't detract from the eating quality of the cabbage. Simply cut your Napa in half, remove the center with the base, and enjoy as normal.
We appreciate your willingness to eat great food, that sometimes looks just a little different, and for coming on this Community Supported Agriculture journey with us where you get veggies with a story! More, regular looking Napa coming soon!
Your farmers,
Ashley, Caleb and the Sungrounded Crew
P.S. Extra special ~overwintered~ Walla Walla Sweet Onions and early new Potatoes from our greenhouse are on the docket this week, we worked hard for these babies, we hope you enjoy!
