When I first started growing garlic years ago, I did so with little expectation.

I’d taken a single bulb of garlic from our local whole foods co-op which consisted of 9 cloves, dug a trench and planted them in the fall. The following spring, it was so exciting to see the little green spears emerging from their hugel bed while everything else was brown and dead.

A couple months later came the scapes, or flower stalk. (I recall being very focused on getting them removed because they would inhibit the growth of my precious garlic, not because they are quite literally one of the most delicious green things of all the green things on the planet).

And that small harvest turned into 150 plants the following year, 200 the next, all the way up to present day where I have 350 plants grown from the biggest and best cloves from the previous year’s crop.

Every year, they get bigger. And better. And guess what? So do the scapes.

That means I have 350 scapes to deal with.

And in no way is that depressing.

Now, there are many ways you can use your scapes.

They can be pan-fried in butter to desired tenderness and eaten much like you would asparagus.

They can be tossed on the grill.

They can be minced up and added to your eggs in the morning.

Or you can be like me and turn them into two amazing (freezer-friendly!) condiments: garlic scape pesto and garlic scape butter.

Yum and double-yum.

Let’s start with pesto.

I have two different recipes to share. The first includes the addition of basil which adds a very desirable sweetness to this otherwise spicy mixture. This recipe is my go-to and is slightly adapted from Jill over at The Prairie Homestead blog. But when I run out of basil from the greenhouse, I opt for recipe #2, also slightly adapted, from Vanilla and Bean. Both are delicious and will leave you wanting to stockpile your freezer with an ample supply. Even if it means growing 300+ garlic plants in your garden.

It’s worth it.

Garlic Scape Pesto #1

• 2 dozen garlic scapes, roughly chopped (2 cups)
• 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
• 2/3 cup almonds, pine nuts, or toasted walnuts
• 1 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Process the garlic scapes, basil, and almonds in a food processor for 20-30 seconds until finely minced (I personally like to leave a little bit of texture to my pesto, but feel free to process as far as you’d like if you prefer a more smooth consistency).

Add the olive oil and process until thoroughly combined.

Add the Parmesan, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and mix well.

Measure out into jars (fills approx. 3 half-pint jelly jars).

Store in the freezer or use within 2 weeks.

Garlic Scape Pesto #2 (no basil)

• 2 dozen garlic scapes, roughly chopped (2 cups)
• 2/3 cup almonds, pine nuts, or toasted walnuts
• 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2/3 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Process the garlic scapes and nuts in a food processor for 20-30 seconds until finely minced.

Add the olive oil and process until thoroughly combined.

Pulse the cheese, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Measure out into jars and store in the freezer or use within 2 weeks.

**Pesto can also be measured out into an ice cube tray for single use.

Now let’s talk garlic scape butter.

These delectable little medallions will bring the party with them wherever they’re headed: your perfectly roast chicken, the steak fresh off the grill, that French bread-turned-garlic-toast from the oven.

Wherever it goes, it’s bringing it.

I mean, it’s already been brought’n.

And you wanna be there. Or be- you know- square.

Garlic Scape Butter

• 1 dozen garlic scapes, roughly chopped (1 cup)
• 2 sticks salted sweet cream butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

Process the garlic scapes in a food processor until finely minced.

Add the butter, lemon juice, and salt and process until thoroughly combined.

Using a rubber spatula, transfer the mixture from your processor to a sheet of parchment paper.

Start to roll it into a log, smoothing your hands along the parchment as you roll it up. It will be approx. 8 inches in length and should be as uniform as you can get it. Twist the ends of the parchment and place into the refrigerator until firm.

Slice into medallions, approx. 1- 1 1/2″ in width.

Wrap and store individually in the freezer. Pull one out when you want to add a burst of buttery garlic flavor to your favorite meat dishes, potatoes, or roasted veggies!

So the next time you pass those strange, curly flower stalks that make the briefest of appearances at your local farmers market or in your CSA box (or if you find yourself planting copious amounts of hardneck garlic in the fall), please do yourself a favor and try out these recipes.

You will thank me later.

Garlic breath and all.