Well, it’s definitely farmers market season y’all! If you’ve been visiting your local market or get a weekly box of CSA (community supported agriculture) produce, you may be familiar with garlic scapes. They’re popping up all over the place!
These thin stalks are bright green in color and grow from the bulbs of, you guessed it, garlic. Their slinky shape reminds me of snakes and, pardon my Harry Potter reference, they kind of look like they could be part of the Slytherin crest. Can you tell I’m in the heart of re-reading HP? (ha!)
Garlic scapes are removed so that garlic bulbs can bulk up and be ready for harvest later in the season. Some people may throw them away or add them to a compost pile, but you really shouldn’t!
They are such a versatile ingredient and taste similar to garlic, but with a milder, chive-like flavor. Their taste is strongest when eaten raw; cooking seems to weaken them.
You can chop them up and use them in place of garlic in recipes, add them to pestos or dips, mix them in with eggs, and even pickle them.
Or you can grill them, as I chose to do with these Charred Garlic Scapes with Parsley Butter.
Plus, they are super cool looking!!! Right?
These charred garlic scapes have an earthy flavor, so I wanted to pair them with a lil’ something extra. Enter: parsley butter.
A few dollops of this butter and a fresh grind of sea salt transforms the dish into a savory plate with a melt-in-your-mouth feel. Don’t be fooled by how fancy the parsley butter looks though. It only has TWO ingredients.
So before you throw out those scapes you got in your CSA box or walk by them at the market, I dare you to give this one a try!
For another recipe with garlic, checked out my Roasted Garlic Dipping Oil.
Charred Garlic Scapes with Parsley Butter
Ingredients
- 1 pound garlic scapes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter - softened
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley - finely chopped
- Sea salt - to taste
- Ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Preheat a grill or grill pan. You can trim both ends of the garlic scapes or leave them intact. Toss the scapes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place them directly on the grill racks or grill pan. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes on each side, until charred. Be careful not to overcook them.
- Prepare the parsley butter in a small bowl by using a fork to press and mix the fresh parsley into the softened butter. Add sea salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve the scapes warm with a few dollops of parsley butter. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Pin these Charred Garlic Scapes with Parsley Butter now to make later.
Enjoy your scapes!
Lizzie
I had no idea that I was supposed to cut off the scapes, (or for that matter, heard the term scapes). Thanks for the recipe. Looks like I have some reading to do:)
Yes, isn’t that interesting?! I think it’s OK to keep them on, but apparently the garlic will bulk up more if you cut them off. Then you can make this with them, haha! 🙂