Dinner experment... Garlic Scapes!

This past Saturday was opening day at the Massillon Farmers' Market. I went with Mom and we picked up a few things: garlic, onions, squash, and honey. My one splurge item was a package of garlic scapes.

What are garlic scapes, you ask? The lady at the market explained that it's part of the garlic plant that sprouts above ground and can be cut and used when it's still green and curly. She recommended using them in a stir fry, but after some poking around on the web I found that most people use them to make into a pesto.

Here's an image I found on the web, since I didn't snap a picture before making the pesto:
http://www.pbase.com/mitzi/image/30882112

They are very pretty and look like thick chives with a closed blossom at the top. You cut off the blossom tips before using them. If left in the ground the scapes will open then turn brown.

For the pesto I simply processed them in the food processor with olive oil. I didn't add any cheese to keep it vegan, then Richard added his own shredded Parmesan cheese.

Here's what the pesto looked like tossed with farfalle pasta:

That's the bright green pesto in the bowl in the background, and we tossed it with the pasta, toasted pine nuts, and Richard added cheese.

How did it taste? It had a spicy garlic taste, but much more subtle than straight garlic. I thought it was fairly rich. Richard topped his with a balsamic grilled chicken breast.

I think I'm still a basil pesto girl, but this was a nice change of pace. A very successful experiment!