Garlic Scape Basil Pesto

It's Garlic Scape season, so I thought I would share a yummy scape recipe with all of you. It's our first year with homegrown scapes, so after harvesting them, I busily researched all of the great things you can make with these delicious garlic greens. I decided to make pesto, so that the scapes could be preserved and savoured later in the year when they're long gone. 

Although I found several versions of garlic scape pesto online, none were exactly what I wanted, so I combined a few to create this recipe. It's hands down one of the most delicious things I've ever made. I'm extra proud since we grew the scapes & basil ourselves. If you have some scapes lying around in your garden, or find some at you local farmers market I highly recommend making this. You won't regret it! Best part, it uses 7 simple ingredients and takes only minutes to mix up. 

*Note: Freeze your pesto in an ice cube tray and then pop out cubes and store in an airtight freezer safe container or freezer bag. Ideal for single use on sandwiches, salads or pasta. 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup fresh clean basil leaves
  • 10 garlic scapes, cleaned, bud removed, and cut into 1" pieces
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 of a lemon juiced
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan

Instructions:

  1. Add basil, garlic scapes & salt to food processor and blend until almost smooth, scrape down sides with spatula.
  2. Add lemon juice, olive oil, pine nuts & parmesan and blend until smooth scraping sides with spatula.
  3. Pour pesto into ice cube trays, freezer bags or mason jars and freeze for several months, or keep pesto in the fridge if you plan to use it within a week or so. The flavours will meld together and mellow over time when frozen. 

Excellent on pastas, sandwiches, or salads. Enjoy!

- Care