Garlic scape pesto

Garlic scapes keep coming and they're fantastic!  One great use for them is to make a garlic scape pesto.

If you have a favorite pesto recipe, you can basically substitute scapes for some or all of the basil.  If you need a starting place, the recipe below will get you started.  Note that it can be easily halved or quartered depending on how many scapes you have avaiable:

• ~1lb. fresh garlic scapes
• 1 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese
• 1/2 to 1 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Chop the garlic scapes into pieces about 1/2-inch long, then put into blender or food processor with the cheese, nuts, and about half the olive oil. (If you're using whole walnuts or almonds, you'll want to run them in the processor first to break them up.) Blend everything up until the well mixed and then slowly add in the rest of the olive oil, stopping when you reach a consistency you like.  For smaller batches of pesto, a blender may not be effective, but a heavy duty mortar and pestle would also do the trick.  Add salt and pepper at the end. Some folks substitute a little broth to reduce how much olive oil is in the pesto, and other will add in a little parsley, basil, or cilantro when first blending the mixture together.  Experimentation leads to new loves!

Pesto is good with almost anything, from fresh bread to pasta to salads to eggs.  If you put it in an airtight container, it will even keep for several days in the fridge and can be frozen for a couple of months!