Quail Hill opened its fields to members on Saturday, and I picked up my share of organic vegetables. There was a big basket of garlic scapes, which are the flavorful shoots of young garlic plants, at the farm's stand. To tame their flavor (which is milder than mature garlic), I chopped them and sauteed them in a little olive oil. Then I stirred them into a puree of chickpeas, tahini, and lemon juice, to make Garlic Scape Hummus. Here is the recipe:
Garlic Scape Hummus
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
Za'atar is a Middle Eastern blend of sumac, thyme, and sesame seeds. I couldn't resist sprinkling some on top of my hummus after I spread it onto slices of grilled bread.
6 or 8 garlic scapes, tough ends trimmed, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini
Salt
1. Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic scapes and cook until just fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
2. Combine chickpeas, water, lemon juice, and tahini in the workbowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Scrape into a bowl, stir in the garlic scape mixture, and season with salt. Refrigerate for up to 1 day before serving.
