- Lettuce
- Chinese broccoli
- Scallions
- Garlic scapes (the flower of the garlic)
- Onions (last of the overwintered onions)
- Kale
- Spinach or chard
- Cilantro or dill
- Sugar snap peas!! Garden candy
- Carrots or beets
They are finally here- sugar snap peas! We seeded them in February and transplanted them in March. Today we share these deliciously sweet treasures with you. We have grown them in our hoop houses for years, trying to get them earlier and more abundant than the ones grown in your home garden. We use only “sugar snap” as this is the sweetest variety we have ever tried. We are so pleased that Fedco seeds worked with its supplier to refine the seed again and make it less likely to have the thin tougher errant pea pods. As peas are super labor intensive, we have put out the sign-up sheet, we can use your help. We ask that those members that can help, volunteer twice during the harvest season. We start harvest at 7 – 7:30 on Sundays and Wednesdays and finish around 11-:30 – 12:30. This is an opportunity to share in the work of growing food for over 400 people. This is a connection to Mother Earth and your community, come join us. Children are welcome and of course not expected to work the whole time, but if old enough they can really contribute and gain the valuable experience of knowing where food comes from and how much work it is to grow it. Please if they are young, have one adult dedicated to caring for them and one adult dedicated to helping harvest. We have had many a seven-year-old surprise us with her/his stamina and be one of the best bean or cherry tomato pickers around!
Garlic scapes are another favorite of many of our members. They are sweet and garlicky and are super on the grill. Every garlic bulb puts out a flowering end about 3-4 weeks before it bulbs. This flower end must be removed to encourage the bulb (garlic head) to form, otherwise energy goes into the bloom and makes seed and not the garlic head we all are accustomed to. We take advantage of this bloom, called the scape (or curl) and offer this to you. It can be used as one would use garlic, chopped and sautéed or covered in olive oil and grilled. See attached recipes, we heard from Lynn Baker, “The garlic scapes and Chinese Broccoli are my favorite things we get from the farm”, music to our ears!
We have most of the tomatoes in the ground in the field. Dee, Dan, Max and Zusse helped us plant the cherry tomatoes between cloud bursts last Sunday. Juvencio managed to stake up all the indoor tomatoes (4 beds 90 feet long!). Many of them have tomatoes on them and we remain hopeful for a harvest in mid July. I hope to get the paste tomatoes and one more bed of cherry tomatoes (all new varieties, I could not resist 😊) in the ground today. We have tomatillos, and winter squash on the list for planting today as well as seeding beets and carrots and replacing water lines that don’t drip well. The pill bugs have once again taken down our first transplanting of cucumbers. I have put in more, but what a frustration! More are on the way. The zucchini is growing but not flowering yet, still looks to be a few weeks off.
I still have veggie starts for home gardens, tomatoes, beans, peppers and much more. Email or text me and I can set some aside for you
Enjoy these recipes this week!
Garlic Scape Hummus
Posted by Carole Koch
Thanks to Kelly Long, Illinois Benedictine University Dietetic Intern, for sharing this recipe!
2 cans of chick peas (garbanzos) drained
1 cup sesame seeds or tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh chopped garlic scapes
Place the ingredients in a blender on high until a
thick paste forms. Salt to taste.
Optional: add your favorite curry, to taste.
Garlic Scape Soup
(This soup enhances the delicate garlic-asparagus flavor of the scapes. You
may use the flower as well.)
3 cups garlic spears, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauté the garlic spears and the onion in the olive oil over medium heat until
vegetables are soft. Add the thyme at the end. In food processor, pureé the
vegetables and add chicken stock as needed to make a smooth paste. In saucepan,
heat the vegetable mixture and add the remaining chicken broth. Bring to a
simmer and add the cream. Adjust the seasoning. Serves 4.
Garlic Scape Tortilla
1 & 1/2 cups chopped
garlic scapes
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup hot water
Salt & Pepper
4 large eggs
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Place garlic and scallions in a 10 inch skillet with 1 tsp. oil, 1/4 cup water and a pinch of salt. Cook covered over med. high heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well. Beat eggs with salt and pepper. Add remaining oil to skillet. When oil is hot, shake skillet to spread greens evenly, add eggs. Cover and cook over med. low heat until top is set [2-3 Minutes].
Mashed Potatoes with Garlic Scapes
2 1/2 lbs. russet
potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces.
2 Tablespoons butter (can omit this if on a restricted fat diet/lifestyle)
1-2 Tbsp, olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped scapes
1/4 cup hot milk (or more)
Cook potatoes until very tender. Drain and return to pot. Over medium high heat, melt butter with olive oil in a small skillet. Add scapes and saute about 5 minutes. Add to potatoes and mash. Gradually add milk while stirring. Season with salt and pepper.
Chicken With Garlic Scapes & Capers
2 whole skinless
boneless chicken breasts, halved
2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 Tbsp. dry white wine
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
4 chopped garlic scapes
1 Tbsp. drained capers
Between sheets of plastic wrap slightly flatten chicken. In a large heavy
skillet heat 1Tbsp. of butter and the oil over medium high heat. Saute until
cooked through. Season with salt & pepper. Transfer chicken to a platter
and keep warm. Pour off fat from skillet and add the remaining butter, the
wine, lemon juice, scapes and bring mixture to a boil. Stir in capers and salt
& pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serves 4.
Roasted Garlic Scapes
Take the scapes and put
them in a lightly oiled roasting pan, top with salt (kosher or seas salt works
best but any will do). Put the loaded and covered pan in a hot (425 °F) oven
for 30 to 45 minutes or until they are beginning to turn brown. serve as a side
or main dish. Tastes like roasted garlic but creamier.
Garlic Scape Pesto from A Garden for the
House