Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto

Despite the oppressive heat the garden is doing surprisingly well - of course, the new drip irrigation system is a big help and it saves time. It also keeps the water splash down on the tomatoes, squash, eggplant, and peppers which keeps the plants looking healthy.

Last fall I planted 54 cloves of garlic, today they are about 3.5 feet high and some of the leaves are starting to brown. I’m excited to dig it up and see how things fared. If you recall last year, I forgot to remove the garlic scapes and my garlic was very small and sad. 

So as not to be sad again, I took a class on growing garlic in MN and learned a lot - for example, did you know that there are more than 600 named varieties of garlic? They are divided into 2 types - hard neck and soft neck. I planted 2 varieties of Rocambole, which are nothing to look at but have the best flavor, and Purple Stripe. But what do you do with the garlic scapes? Some people add them to a stir fry or soup, some grill or roast them, and I make pesto out of them. 

This pesto can be frozen and used in the same way as any other pesto my favorite uses are pasta, pizza, and toasted bread with a thick slice of tomato and avocado. 

Ingredients:

10 Garlic Scapes 154g

1/3 C Walnuts 30g

2 Tbs Nutritional Yeast 12g

1/2 Lemon juiced

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

1/8 tsp Ground Black Pepper

1/3 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil 73g

Instructions:

Trim the garlic scapes by cutting just below the bulb. Discard the bulb/tip and cut the scapes into about 1" pieces.

In a food processor, add the scapes, walnuts, yeast, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Process by pulsing until the mixture begins to break down. Scrape the bowl down.

With the processor running, slowly add all the olive oil. Continue to process until all the ingredients are incorporated and broken down, about 30-45 seconds, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed.

Store in a covered container in the fridge and enjoy within a week. Also, you can freeze the pesto in a small container (as shown above) or in an ice-cube tray. Once frozen, in the ice-cube tray, remove and place in a ziplock bag in the freezer.

The weather person says a chance of rain today - fingers crossed!

A Quick and Tasty Pizza

If you're in my neck of the woods chances are you haven’t left the house in the last 7 days - what is up with the 90-degree temps in early June - honestly it feels like mid-July it’s crazy!

I’ve been watering the veggie garden early every morning so that the plants have time to dry and not collect moisture (which happens when you water at night). Today I cut off the scapes from my garlic plants - I see garlic scape pesto in my future. The heat is really taking a toll on the grass, we’re keeping it longer and only watering in selective spots where it is dire. 

When it’s this hot I’m not motivated to cook nor am I really all that hungry. I found a recipe online for a quick naan bread pizza that takes about 12 - 14 minutes in the oven and has some of my favorite ingredients - blueberries, goat cheese, and onions - what could go wrong?

Dan is not usually a fan of sweet things for dinner but I didn't hear any complaints and there are no leftovers - so I'll take that as a win.

Ingredients:

2 - pieces of naan 

1 T olive oil

1 cup thinly sliced red onion 

salt 

a pinch of red pepper flakes 

2 T honey

1/2 cup fets

1/2 cup fig goat cheese 

1 cup blueberries 

A few basil or spinach leaves, thinly sliced

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place naan on the baking sheet, and brush with a little water. 

Place the olive oil and onions in a small pan and saute for 5 - 7 minutes until translucent. Add honey and stir until combined, Sprinkle a little salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes on the onions, turn off the heat, and set aside. 

Combine goat cheese and feta in a small bowl, use your fingers to mix together. Divide the cheese mixture between the two pieces of naan and spread out. Top with the onion mixture and add 1/2 cup blueberries to each pizza. 

Place the pizzas in the oven and bake for 13 - 14 minutes until the blueberries are just about to burst. Remove from oven and top with shredded basil/spinach. 

Slice and enjoy with a crisp glass of wine. 

Thanks for stopping by!