Yuppie Surprise Pasta Salad
Ok, kids...in case you're not paying attention, this is going to be turning into a recipe blog (well, ok, not entirely - but it's headed that direction) over the summer. Hope you don't mind.
However, this recipe should be marked URGENT if you want to make it. That's because it's a dish with a time limit. That time limit is called the Garlic Scape.
Now, a garlic scape is not a bulb of garlic which has rolled out from your shopping bag and secreted itself under the refrigerator. No, it's something much more magical. You see, when a mommy garlic and a daddy garlic love each other very much...well, you've all heard the rest. The important thing is that what comes from that sweet garlic love is the stalk which bears the seed head (essentially the flower stem) of the garlic plant. We call that the scape. And if you're a foodie, it's rapidly become the vegetable to name drop at cocktail parties. Scapes are traditionally a byproduct of the garlic harvesting process, but they've started to show up at farmer's markets. If you don't go to your local farmer's market, this is a good reason to start.
I've been looking for them off and on for a month or so - they're in season between early May and early June here - and I finally found them on Sunday morning at my local greenmarket. I bought a couple bunches, even though it was inconvenient and I knew I'd have to carry them around for the rest of the day (Queens Pride). I finally found the time to cook them today.
The flavour is something like a fresh green bean with a light garlic taste, followed by an intense garlic taste. In other words, it's like a party in your mouth. A party with all the beautiful people. I cooked mine into a pasta salad, since it's summer, and I want a nice cool entrée.
Yuppie Surprise Pasta Salad
1 box pasta (I used gemelli, because it's adorable)
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 pound portabella mushrooms, cubed
8-10 garlic scapes, chopped into 1 1/2 inch lengths
1/2 pound broccoli rabe, chopped into 1 inch lengths
1 lemon
2 tbsp sundried tomatoes in oil, sliced thinly
1 tbsp capers
3/4 pound chicken
This is easy as pie, if not easier. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box until al dente. In a skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and add the portabellas. Cook them until they turn dark and reduce to 1/3 to 1/2 their volume. Set aside. Now, with another tablespoon of olive oil, cook the scapes and broccoli rabe until both are bright green and the leaves from the rabe have wilted. Squeeze half a lemon over this, and set aside. Now, with the final tablespoon of olive oil, cook the tomatoes, capers, and chicken. Squeeze the other half of the lemon over this while it cooks.
Toss everything together, and put it in the refrigerator to cool. Serve cold, and when people ask "what is THIS?" say, "Oh, you've never had garlic scapes before? [insert farmer's name] down at the [insert local yuppie farmer's market] saves them for me every year. Aren't they divine?" in your most affected voice.
Again, though - scapes are almost out of season, so get to your farmer's market ASAP.
However, this recipe should be marked URGENT if you want to make it. That's because it's a dish with a time limit. That time limit is called the Garlic Scape.
Now, a garlic scape is not a bulb of garlic which has rolled out from your shopping bag and secreted itself under the refrigerator. No, it's something much more magical. You see, when a mommy garlic and a daddy garlic love each other very much...well, you've all heard the rest. The important thing is that what comes from that sweet garlic love is the stalk which bears the seed head (essentially the flower stem) of the garlic plant. We call that the scape. And if you're a foodie, it's rapidly become the vegetable to name drop at cocktail parties. Scapes are traditionally a byproduct of the garlic harvesting process, but they've started to show up at farmer's markets. If you don't go to your local farmer's market, this is a good reason to start.
I've been looking for them off and on for a month or so - they're in season between early May and early June here - and I finally found them on Sunday morning at my local greenmarket. I bought a couple bunches, even though it was inconvenient and I knew I'd have to carry them around for the rest of the day (Queens Pride). I finally found the time to cook them today.
The flavour is something like a fresh green bean with a light garlic taste, followed by an intense garlic taste. In other words, it's like a party in your mouth. A party with all the beautiful people. I cooked mine into a pasta salad, since it's summer, and I want a nice cool entrée.
Yuppie Surprise Pasta Salad
1 box pasta (I used gemelli, because it's adorable)
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 pound portabella mushrooms, cubed
8-10 garlic scapes, chopped into 1 1/2 inch lengths
1/2 pound broccoli rabe, chopped into 1 inch lengths
1 lemon
2 tbsp sundried tomatoes in oil, sliced thinly
1 tbsp capers
3/4 pound chicken
This is easy as pie, if not easier. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box until al dente. In a skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and add the portabellas. Cook them until they turn dark and reduce to 1/3 to 1/2 their volume. Set aside. Now, with another tablespoon of olive oil, cook the scapes and broccoli rabe until both are bright green and the leaves from the rabe have wilted. Squeeze half a lemon over this, and set aside. Now, with the final tablespoon of olive oil, cook the tomatoes, capers, and chicken. Squeeze the other half of the lemon over this while it cooks.
Toss everything together, and put it in the refrigerator to cool. Serve cold, and when people ask "what is THIS?" say, "Oh, you've never had garlic scapes before? [insert farmer's name] down at the [insert local yuppie farmer's market] saves them for me every year. Aren't they divine?" in your most affected voice.
Again, though - scapes are almost out of season, so get to your farmer's market ASAP.