Really I didn't mean to post yet another lunch post, but maybe you will agree with me that it was necessary. I was getting lunch ready to be cooked. I had the pizza dough all rolled out. The sauce was made from tomatoes canned from last year. The cheese was grated. But I decided I needed a salad to go along with it. Last week I had made a ranch dressing. I hated it and was avoiding eating salad so I wouldn't have to eat it. Silly huh? So I tossed it yesterday. Today I was thinking French dressing which I know I love. I was looking for the recipe in my recipe box. I didn't see it. Where did it go? But I noticed my garlic scape salad dressing recipe. I look forward to it every year.
Last year I harvested scapes in mid to late June during the main pea harvest. Though I did steal a couple of baby peas off the vine today, the harvest of peas hasn't yet started. So I wasn't expecting anything when I glanced out the kitchen window thinking wistfully of garlic scapes. And this is what I saw.
SCAPES! In early June. Two weeks earlier than last year. So I made garlic scape salad dressing instead.
Mmmmmm lunch. I so love grilled pizza and garlic scape dressing. I even got rid of one more leaf of the green monster.
Garlic scapes rock! I'm surprised at how many people toss that. Sort of like chive blossoms. Your salad looks great!
ReplyDeleteDaphne- hi! Just found your blog today through Skippy's Garden. Love it!! Thank you for all the great info!
ReplyDeleteWe are in our first full year at Rock Meadow in Belmont and it's all trial and error for us. Will be checking in daily!
I never knew about garlic scapes. Will keep on eye of it. Our garlic has just sprouted so will take a while to wait for the scape. Your lunch look so delicious.
ReplyDeleteI have been using scapes for the past week in the place of garlic, could you post the recipe?
ReplyDeletePlus, lovely little dianthus? in there too.
ReplyDeleteWendy, Many don't even know you can do anything with them.
ReplyDeleteDiane B, good luck with the new garden. I hope you develop a love for gardening.
Diana, yours might well not have scapes. You get scapes on hardneck garlic which is grown more in colder climates. In warmer climates they tend to have softneck garlic which will only put out scapes when they are stressed.
Vanessa, if you hover your mouse over the text where I talk about it, you will find the link to it.
Karen Anne, yes it is one of the few plants that I brought over from my last garden. I brought the chives because I figured I couldn't kill them in the pot, but I brought the dianthus because I grew it from seed more than two decades ago. All the plants that came up were very different, but that one is the only one to survive all through the years. It is one very pretty and tough dianthus.
I planted a hard neck variety this year and so I am looking forward to enjoying some scapes. So far they are not showing up yet though. I am amazed at how well the garlic patch is doing though this year... everything is huge!
ReplyDeleteLunch looks great!
I don't know what's happened but I suddenly can't stand any kind of bottled dressing. I'm expecting some scapes any day so will definitely try that recipe!
ReplyDeleteWOW...I can't believe you have scapes already. That's crazy! Are you growing a different variety this year?
ReplyDeleteLaura, My garlic seems taller this year. I'm wondering how big the bulbs are.
ReplyDeleteJGH, I still like some bottled dressings, but since I never buy them I resort to making them. BTW if you are mayo person it works well if you add mayo too, but I'm not a fan.
Thomas, no these are the same ones that I brought over from my old garden. Luckily I got to harvest them before selling the house. I think the soil and their location really change when they are ready. The garlic is in the circle garden which is surrounded by bricks. They probably heated up more quickly in the spring.