LOOK!!!  The garlic scapes have appeared.  Scapes are the flowering stalks of the garlic.  They emerge and curl around, little goose necks.  The whitish part is the flower bud, and the stems are called scapes.  We eat the scapes.  But not the flower bud.

 

I learned years ago (the hard way) that if you don't cut off the scapes, the garlic bulb will not develop.  The plant sends all its energy to the flowers to produce seeds.  We don't grow garlic for the seeds;  we grow it for the bulbs.  So yesterday I cut off all the scapes, and shared some with friends.  I added some to the quiche we were making. That was really  good.

 

The best way to cook scapes is like green beans:  cut off the flower bud, and cut the stems into 2 inch pieces.  Then we steam them about 5 minutes, and blanch them in cold water til they are cold.  Then we sauté them in butter for about 3-5 minutes, til they get hot again.  You don't need to add garlic to the pan because, they ARE garlic.  Mild, but definitely garlicky.  

 

Aren't they pretty?  Now we just have to wait another month or so, and we can harvest the garlic bulbs.  I'll get back to you on that.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!