Garlic Fried Scapes—A Recipe

Being near a farm and watching the work—the way the colours and crops rotate and being able to savour the waves of flavours throughout a season—has set a rhythm of home for me now. I know Spring is just around the corner when I see the crew head out into the fields.

Summer has an endless buzz as the Farm Stand and community-supported agriculture (CSA) ramp up, delivering tons of deliciousness to our kitchen table. Fall and Winter now taste of sweet squash stews and spicy roasted apples, but the scapes are still my favourite.

When I asked Zack what to do with the crazy curly garlic stems that are among the first of the veggies to grace the CSA table, he said, “Just fry them up simply”. I did, and they were delicious!

Garlic Fried Scapes Recipe

• 1 lb fresh garlic scapes, cut into 5-6” lengths
• 2-3 cloves garlic, sliced as thinly as possible
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
• pinch flake sea salt

1. In a large skillet or cast iron pan, heat the oil on medium high.
2. When the oil is hot but not smoking, drop in the scapes and pumpkin seeds and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until the scapes start to blister.
3. Add the garlic slices and fry for another 1 to 2 minutes until the garlic turns golden. 
4. Remove from the heat, plate, and sprinkle with sea salt.
5. Serve immediately.

📖 This article first appeared in The Home Volume of FOLKLIFE Magazine.