Author Notes
A crisper drawer full of scapes had me desperate. Despite my best efforts to use them all, the pile was growing. I stole my husband's favorite brewing spice, grains of paradise, and took out my anger via mortar and pestle. Grains of paradise has a light peppery finish, with a touch of astringency.
—Hilarybee
Ingredients
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6-7
Garlic Scapes, chopped
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1 teaspoon
capers, (packed in water or oil)
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1
Lemon, zested and juiced
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1/4 cup
Good Olive Oil
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1/4 teaspoon
Grains of Paradise
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Pinch of Sea Salt
Directions
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Chop the garlic scapes into small segments. Combine the scapes, capers, lemon zest, grains of paradise and sea salt in a food processor or a mortar. If food processor, pulse until it is a chunky paste. Process more if you want a smoother consistently. If using a mortar, beat and mash vigorously with pestle. Mortar and Pestle is a great stress reliever if you've had a really bad day.
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Add two tablespoons of lemon juice and beat the ingredients with the pestle some more. Drizzle in the olive oil; mash everything until it is thick and thoroughly combine. There will still be some larger chunks of scapes. I like the chunks- if you don't, keep mashing! If using a food processor, drizzle the olive oil while pulsing.
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Use as a marinade, a bruschetta topping. Put this in your minestrone or a soup that needs a little punch. Brightens up poultry.
Dedicated locavore. I spend my weekends on the back roads (often lost!) looking for the best ingredients Ohio has to offer. I am often accompanied by my husband, Mr. Radar and our dog, Buddy. Born in West Virginia, raised in Michigan, I moved to Ohio for college and have lived there on and off since. I love to meet farmers and local producers. Cooking is an extension of this love.
You can follow my move from government analyst to cottage industrialist and view the food I cook for my personal mad scientist on thistleconfections.com
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