Green Garlic | Hmong American Farmers Association

Allium sativum

Green garlic is one of spring’s first much-anticipated crops. Green garlic is simply the juvenile stage of the familiar cured bulb garlic that we all know so well—parts of the new plant sprouting from the cloves. Green garlic refers to the entire plant; garlic scapes are the long, curly shoots bearing immature flower clusters that form on hardneck garlic plants in early summer. (Scapes are also sometimes called whistles, stems, flowers, spears, or tops.) When recipes call for green garlic, the scapes, flowers, leaves, or very young bulbs are interchangeable. Recipes specifying scapes or whistles refer to just the long stems and flowers.

These curling flower stalks are delicious and have many uses, from soups and salads to main dishes and garnishes. Stronger and richer in flavor than chives, green garlic’s pungency is milder than that of its cured-bulb siblings. Use it any way that you would use shallots or regular garlic. (Jack Hedin of Featherstone Farm claims that you have only to fill your roasting pan with meat and green garlic and cook it slowly to taste the richest roast ever made.) Garlic scapes are highly prized delicacies in European and Korean cuisine because of their subtle garlic flavor, tender-crisp texture, and nutraceutical potency.

Like most spring crops, green garlic’s season is fleeting. By early June the stems and leaves start getting woody, as the plant’s moisture is drawn out of the above- ground shoot and into the now-forming bulb. Its next reincarnation appears in the fall, as cured garlic in October.

Season

Green garlic is truly a harbinger of its season. You are unlikely to find this springtime treat in large supermarkets, but you may be lucky enough to run across it at farmers markets or in your CSA box in late spring or very early summer. Blink and you might miss it, but enjoy it for the brief time it is available.

Selection

Choose shoots and scapes that look fresh, not wilted. Older, larger scapes and shoots (especially toward the end of the season or in the summer) tend to be fibrous.

Storage

Some vegetables do not store well after being washed, getting slimy if not used immediately; green garlic is one of them. To keep the scapes crisp, forgo a quick rinse and instead store them in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator, where they will last for weeks.

Trimming and Cleaning

Like small children, green garlic tends to be grubby. Scrub the scapes slightly and rinse them under running water, especially at their bases, where sand often accumulates. You may need to remove tough or yellowed outer leaves from the stalks.

Steaming and Boiling

If you plan to steam green garlic, keep it brief—a few minutes at most. To add a subtle garlic touch, add some chopped scapes to the steamer basket in which other vegetables are cooking during the last couple of minutes. Boiling tends to leach out its delicate flavor.

Stir-Frying and Sautéing

Add green garlic to stir-fries during the last several minutes of prepara- tion. To sauté green garlic, slice 6 to 8 stalks into thin rounds and sauté in a couple of tablespoons of butter or olive oil for at least 10 minutes.

Microwaving

Microwave green garlic like you would green onions. Chop into 1- or 2-inch pieces, place in a microwave-safe container containing 1⁄2 inch of water, cover, and microwave on high power for 3 to 5 minutes. After draining, they are ready to use in cooked dishes.

Blanching and Freezing

If you cannot use your green garlic right away, chop the scapes into 1-inch pieces, place them in zipper-lock freezer or vacuum food sealer-type bags or freezer containers, and squeeze out the excess air. They will keep for about 6 to 8 months at 0°F, if you can resist using them for that long.

Equivalents, Measures, and Servings

1 stalk green garlic = 1 or 2 regular garlic cloves

Complementary Herbs, Seasonings, and Foods

Beans, beef, beets, cabbage, chicken, eggplant, eggs, fish, lamb, lentils, mushrooms, pasta, pork, potatoes, poultry, rice, shellfish, spinach, tomatoes, vegetables, zucchini.

Serving Suggestions

Steam rice until it is about 80 percent cooked; take three green garlic shoots and place right on top of the rice; the garlic will wilt, releasing its aromatic juices down into the rice.
Finely chop a tablespoon or two of green garlic and add it to your tuna fish salad. Delicious as a sandwich filling, or by itself!
Combine green garlic (cut into 1-inch lengths), basil, pine nuts, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and lemon juice in a food processor or mortar to make a delicious pesto.
Throw sautéed green garlic into pasta salads and salad dressings.
Chop up garlic shoots and mix with ground beef for the best grilled hamburgers you’ve ever tasted.
Add green garlic at the last minute to stir-fries of all kinds.
Sauté green garlic and add to frittatas, omelets, or scrambled eggs.
Top potato soup with finely chopped scapes for a stronger kick than chives.
Sprinkle chopped green garlic over pizza or Italian grinders.
Make a delicious aïoli with green garlic, and use it as a dipping sauce, condiment, or flavoring agent with many different vegetables, meats, fish, pasta, soups, rice, sandwiches, and shellfish.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Green Garlic Mashed Potatoes

11⁄2 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled
4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick) butter
2 bunches green garlic, green leaves only 1⁄2 cup milk
1⁄2 cup cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Serves 6

Leave the potatoes whole if they are small, or cut them in half if they are large. Place them in a large saucepan with enough salted water to cover them by several inches. Bring to a simmer, cover partially, and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until a knife slips in easily, about 30 minutes. Drain, then return the potatoes to the warm pot. Return the pot to the stove and shake it until all of the moisture evaporates.
While the potatoes cook, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the green garlic and sauté until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the milk and cream. Season with salt and pepper.
Put the boiled potatoes through a food mill or ricer. Add the hot milk mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.— The Garlic Store, Fort Collins, Colorado

Garlic Scape Pizza

6 to 8 green garlic scapes with stems 1⁄2 medium onion
1⁄2 red bell pepper
1⁄2 yellow bell pepper

Makes one 12-inch pizza

1 tablespoon butter
3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 to 4 ounces (about 1⁄2 cup) tomato paste
1 (12-inch) prepared pizza crust (see Suggestions below) 1⁄2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
3 ounces spinach
1⁄2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
5-inch stick pepperoni, thinly sliced

10 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 3⁄4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Slice the garlic scapes, onions, and peppers into small pieces. Put them into a medium sauté pan along with the butter and garlic. Cook until tender, and set aside to cool.

Spread the tomato paste over the pizza crust, and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.

Make a bed of spinach over the mozzarella cheese. Cover the spinach with the sautéed vegetables, and sprinkle the Cheddar cheese on top. Add the pepperoni slices and top with the cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top of the pizza.

Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

Suggestions, Substitutions, and Additions:

Buy prepared pizza crust or make your own.

Use garlic scapes that are as young as possible and include the stems.

Add hot pepper flakes while sautéing the vegetables.

Use about 1 pound of hot Italian sausage cooked to a crisp in a skillet in place of the pepperoni, or go meatless.

Any of the topping ingredients may be increased or decreased, depending on taste.

— David Sutton, The Garlic Store, Fort Collins, Colorado

Garlic Scape Soup

Serves 4 Source

Note: This soup enhances the delicate garlic-asparagus flavor of the scapes. You may use the garlic scape flowers as well.

3 cups garlic scapes, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme 3 cups chicken broth, divided
1 cup cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sauté the garlic scapes and onion in the olive oil over medium heat until the vegetables become soft. Add the thyme at the end.

In a food processor, puree the vegetables and add chicken broth as needed to make a smooth paste.

In a saucepan, heat the vegetable puree and add the remaining broth. Bring to a simmer and add the cream, stirring regularly. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

— The Garlic Store, Fort Collins, Colorado

Japanese Pickled Garlic Scapes

Makes two 1-quart jars

Author Note: The ingredients for this recipe can be found in Asian grocery stores or the Asian food aisle of larger supermarkets. Kombu is an edible seaweed used to flavor broths and soups and is sold dried in sheets. Shiso (sometimes called perilla) is a fresh herb of the mint family with a citrusy taste.

The ginger in this recipe is cut into 4 bias-sliced oval pieces, 2 per jar. This makes it easier to use or remove, depending on your preference. If you want more of the ginger’s spice, slice it finely into matchsticks instead.

1⁄2 pound garlic scapes
1 (3-inch) knob ginger, cut on the bias into 4 pieces 11⁄2 cups water
13⁄4 cup rice wine vinegar
2⁄3 cup mirin rice wine
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 teaspoons kosher salt
1 (8-inch) sheet of kombu
4 green shiso leaves

Sterilize two 1-quart canning jars (along with two canning lids and two rings) by washing them and then submerging them in boiling water for 5 minutes. Dry upside down on a clean cloth.
If the garlic scapes are tough, blanch them for a couple of minutes in salted water, then plunge them into an ice-water bath. This will tenderize them.
In a saucepan, bring the ginger, water, rice wine vinegar, mirin, sugar and salt to a boil. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust flavors—sour, sweet, salty—to preference. Drop in the kombu and let sit for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, crush the shiso leaves with your fingers and drop two into each jar. Stuff in the cold garlic scapes. Remove the kombu and ginger from the saucepan and drop them evenly into the jars.
Finish by evenly distributing the brine between the jars. Seal and let sit overnight before refrigerating. Although a week is sufficient for pickling, the flavor of the subtle kombu and shiso will intensify after a couple of months. To serve, either eat the pickled scapes whole, or chop and toss them with rice, salads, or any dish of your choosing.

— Brian Fink, The Cascadian Kitchen blog

Spinach, Nuts, and Cheese

Serves 2 Source

Note: This is a great savory dish. You can add hot chiles for added pizzazz.

2 slices thick-cut bacon, minced (optional)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1⁄4 cup minced onion (red or white)
2 green garlic scapes, minced, or 2 regular cloves garlic 1⁄4 cup walnuts
1 bunch spinach, coarsely chopped and washed 1⁄4 cup cubed feta or fresh mozzarella cheese

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, brown the bacon (if using), set it aside, and drain off the fat. Heat the olive oil on medi- um heat, and sauté the onion, garlic scapes, and walnuts until they soften.
Stir the spinach into the nut-and-onion mixture and cook down, about 5 minutes.
Add the bacon and cheese; cover until warmed, about 3 minutes.— Judy, Featherstone Farm CSA member

From Bounty from the Box: The CSA Farm Cookbook, by Mi Ae Lipe