Nothing says spring more than the arrival of garlic scapes. Farmers Dave and Loretta Fresquez from Monte Vista Organic Farm in Espanola, New Mexico have discovered a way to enjoy their incredible taste year-round. Dried Garlic Scape Powder – YUM!
Farmer Dave, me and Bob Ross - my host on KSFR 101.1 FM's Gardens, Food & Santa Fe broadcast live from the Farmers Market
Here’s Dave’s special recipe:
Pick garlic scapes (spring garlic) early in the season while their stalks are light green. Wash and dry the scapes and chop them into 1/4″ pieces. Place in food dehydrator and dehydrate for 6-8 hours. Remove from dehydrator and run through vitamix juicer to turn into powder. To store, place in sealable container and freeze.
Dried Garlic Scapes
The result is incredible! I tasted the powder mixed in with fresh goat cheese (OMG!), but the uses are limitless. Try sprinkling it on garlic bread or cooked grains, add to soups and sauces, use as a season for grilled seafood or chicken, add to aioli, guacamole… you’re only limited by your own imagination.
What are YOUR favorite foods and methods for preserving?
Bob interviews author, cooking instructor, and health counselor Terry Walters about her book CLEAN FOOD, which offers advice on how to eat simple, minimally processed and seasonal foods every day.
For the past few months I have been working on my next cookbook and I have to confess, I’ve recently found my creative juices a bit blocked! Writing recipes for winter in the middle of winter is a piece of cake (gluten-free, of course). Fall recipes flowed easily as the harvest felt like it was just yesterday. With spring just around the corner I’ve been excited for weeks about what new discoveries I’ll find each week when I head to the farm. But summer? Perhaps it’s because summer feels so far away – from both directions! Or perhaps it’s because it’s hard to imagine such juicy, sweet and colorful produce when all I see out my window is brown, laced with a little snow. Either way, thanks to my favorite farmer, Mike Kandefer, today’s trip to Urban Oaks Organic Farm left my mouth watering, the tastes of summer warming my heart, and my summer-block lifted like haze on a sunny day!
Freshly picked baby bok choy from the greenhouses being washed and prepared for the Friday Farm Stand.
In addition to the surprising bounty of fresh locally grown produce at today’s stand – from both Urban Oaks and other local growers, Mike took to reigniting my imagination by sharing with me all of the incredible seed catalogs he’s been perusing the past few weeks in preparation for spring planting. Together we recalled previous summers, specialty items, recipes and all of the incredible heirloom produce planned for the upcoming season. I can’t wait!
Imagine, all it took was a thought of hundreds of different varieties of tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, melons, peppers … of course, it didn’t hurt to munch on these incredible greens (baby chard in the background and the delicate and delicious Claytonia in the foreground).
So, it’s back to summer for me. I look forward to sharing the fruits of my labors with you soon!
