Whenever I have a day off, as I do today (and every other Friday thanks to a flexible scheduling option at my work), I start the day with a wish list. I used to call it a “to do” list, but eventually learned that to do lists only cause disappointment and guilt. With a wish list, you don’t really have anything that you have to do, rather things that you would like to do. Sure, there are priorities, but you can just note these with a cute little star (or a heart or any shape of your liking). These are the items you tackle early in the day. But if you get through one thing on your wish list, you have reason to be proud.
I like to include things like “shower” and “get dressed.” Those things have yet to be accomplished today, but I did pay bills and make the bed, so I’m good. “Blog” was a starred item (“shower” and “get dressed” weren’t). I even made a perch for the cat under a window that looks out over the back yard (she kept climbing to the top of our refrigerator to look out a different window into the back yard) and made a cornbread with sesame seeds and grated carrots (whoa). It’s not been the kind of day I was planning when I got up this morning, but it never is. (Perhaps I’m a little overambitious with my plans for daily 5-mile runs and 5-course meals. I’m just kidding about the 5-course meals.)
The moral of this personal ramble is that if you’re a list maker like I am, stop calling them to do lists. Write “wish list” at the top and notice how much more enjoyable it is to write it and check things off of it. Oh, and you should add to it: “Find garlic scapes” and “Make garlic scape pesto.”
I didn’t see any garlic scapes at the farmer’s market yesterday (my first visit of the season!). But I expect to see them soon. Last year, my friend Nadia was working on a farm for the summer and let me go through and pick all the scapes I could handle from several rows of garlic. I filled my arms with them and set about finding what to do with so many. Fortunately, Dorie Greenspan published a recipe around the same time for garlic scape pesto on her blog. I made several batches and used it many ways, on toast with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, as a pizza topping (with fresh mozzarella), tossed with pasta, and (my favorite preparation) tossed with roasted potatoes. Seriously, try it with potatoes. You might even grill them first. Do you like sour cream and onion potato chips? You won’t after this. Because this is so much better that those stupid things will disgust you after you’ve had roasted potatoes and this garlicy pesto. The chips kind of have the same flavor idea, but the roasted potatoes and pesto are actually ideal.
So, try this. I’m not usually so pushy with recipes, but I have to be with this recipe. It’s crazy simple and crazy delicious. (Like Mr. Pibb and Red Vines.)
(Too bad these photos aren’t a little better…)
Garlic Scape Pesto
from Dorie Greenspan
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients:
10 garlic scapes, finely chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/3 cup slivered almonds
About 1/2 cup olive oil
Sea salt
Put the scapes, 1/3 cup of the cheese, almonds and half the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor (or use a blender or a mortar and pestle). Whir to chop and blend all the ingredients and then add the remainder of the oil and, if you want, more cheese. If you like the texture, stop; if you’d like it a little thinner, add some more oil. Season with salt.
If you’re not going to use the pesto immediately, press a piece of plastic against the surface to keep it from oxidizing. The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days or packed airtight and frozen for a couple of months.