It’s garlic scape season! Maybe you’ve never seen a garlic scape?

The scape is where a flower will form if left to its own devices. The theory is that if you snip it off, your garlic bulb, which is growing underground, will use the energy it would have directed to the flower to grow bigger instead. I just bend the scape at the base and it breaks with a satisfying snap.

The simplest way to use scapes is to chop them and stir them into cream cheese. A slightly more involved use is to make this pesto, which we freeze and enjoy all year. This recipe multiplies well; as written it will make a bit more than a pint jarful.

Scape Pesto

1 cup scapes

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup walnuts

1 cup grated parmesan

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

Puree until smooth.