Garlic Scapes

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I just got word that our first week of the CSA will have garlic scapes! I remember LOVING this recipe when I got them a couple years ago, so I am reposting it for everyone that doesn’t know what to do with them. ;)

Cilantro & Garlic Scape Pesto

  • 1 bunch of cilantro, ends removed
  • 2 garlic scapes
  • handful of chives (or garlic clove or more scapes)
  • 2 handfuls of walnuts
  • 1/4 cup olive oil (or more depending on how creamy you want it)
  • 2 pinches of salt
  • pepper to taste
  • few good shakes of crushed red pepper flakes (these happened to be homemade from last year’s dried chili’s)

Directions:

Put the cilantro, garlic scapes, chives, walnuts in the food processor and pulse until they are a coarse meal. Put in the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and run a stream of olive oil in while its processing until you get a chunky/creamy texture. Serve on top of any meat, mushroom caps, eggs, etc.

Pesto is so versatile and easy to freeze. It helps dress up any boring meat easily. I chose to grilled up some grassfed flank steak and serve pesto on top. I put it on top of the salad blend I got from the CSA. Absolutely fabulous. This is what I love about the CSA. I didn’t know what a garlic scape was and I had definitely never cooked with them. Forced me out of my comfort zone and now I know just how much I like them! I hope we get more next week because I have thought up a million more way to use them!!!

CSA Week 18: Butternut Squash Lasagna

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butternut lasagna

Week 18 bounty:

  • 1 leek
  • 3 bell peppers
  • 4 habaneros
  • bag of potatoes
  • 1 bunch of kale
  • 1 bag of salad mix
  • 1 eggplant

Butternut Lasagna

  • 1 butternut squash, peeled (just use the neck), cut into slices
  • 1 lb seasoned sausage
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Brown your meat in a skillet to get some caramelization on the meat (this is important so don’t stir too much! let it brown!). Then add tomato sauce to cover the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Lay out a layer of butternut squash sheets. Pour over more sauce and sprinkle meat over that layer. Keep repeating until you have used all your squash, meat and sauce. Put your dish in the over, covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 10-15 minutes until squash is fork tender.

CSA Week 13: Eggplant Stacks

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eggplant

CSA Week 13 Bounty:

  • 6 tomatoes
  • bag of potatoes
  • 3 bell peppers
  • 2 eggplants
  • 1 head of bok choy
  • bag of green beans
  • bag of salad mix

I am trying to eat more veggie dishes because I am about to start a nutrition program with another vegetarian. It’s much easier to coach someone when you get what their meals look like. Since most of her pastas she is used to will be out the window, I have to come up with tasty alternatives! Luckily, she will eat some animal products, like cheese. So, eggplant stacks it is!

Eggplant Stacks

  • 2 eggplant
  • 1 lb mozzarella
  • 1 jar tomato sauce
  • basil
  • almond flour
  • salt and pepper
  • butter

Preheat oven to 450F. Cut eggplant into discs and spread on greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for 20 minutes. Get them out and turn the oven down to 350F. Place some sauce in the bottom of a baking dish and arrange some of the eggplant discs over the sauce. Put some sauce on top of the eggplant and sprinkle some basil. Place a disc of mozzarella over each eggplant disc and continue layering. Once you have eggplant back on top (3 eggplant discs) then sprinkle with topping of (almond flour with cold butter and salt in the food processor until it looks like bread crumbs). Bake for 17 minutes and broil on low for 3 minutes until the crumble topping browns slightly.

CSA Week 11: Patty Pan Squash

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patty pan
The picture is of Patty pan squash. Just when I think I’ve seen it all, the CSA throws me a curve ball! This is a summer squash that I have never eaten before! I always get excited to try new things. ;)

CSA Week 11 Bounty:

  • Zucchini
  • Patty pan squash
  • Cucumber
  • Cauliflower
  • 1 bunch kale
  • bag of red potatoes
  • 3 tomatoes
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 2 wax peppers

We are halfway through the CSA season. This year has been very different so far! I have not gotten as much food this year, which is a blessing and a curse. Obviously I love getting tons of organic, local, ripe veggies! However, I was on serious overload last year, and I sometimes felt like it was a full time job just to keep up with the amount of food I had to preserve. This year has been plenty to keep me stocked up for the week, but I haven’t preserved anything yet. I am sure some zucchini bread will be in my future, and who can forget about salsa? In all, it’s been much more manageable, which I welcome after the past few years!