Pickled Garlic Scapes #FarmersMarketWeek

Today we are continuing a week of Farmers' Market-inspired recipes with Ellen from Family Around the Table and Christie of A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures coordinating. Thanks, ladies! I can't wait to have new recipes for all the items at the markets right now. This is actually my last recipe of the week, but I will definitely be visiting all of the other posts tomorrow as well.

My recipe was inspired by some organic garlic scapes I picked up from my CSA (community-supported agriculture) farmer, Robina's Organics. Garlic scapes grow from the tops of hardneck garlic. I had seen a jar of pickled scapes and decided to give that a shot. These ended up being a little bit more woody and hardy than I had anticipated; I had expected them to resemble pickled green beans in texture. So, next time I might blanch them before I pickle them.

However, upon further reading, these will work well in pesto and grilled. So, I'll try that with my next bundle of scapes that I picked up this week.

Here's the Thursday Farmer’s Market Week Recipes...

• Blueberry Mug Cake by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Dijon Pan Bagnat by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Late Summer Trail Mix by The Freshman Cook
• Mini Peach Parfaits by Intelligent Domestications
• Pecan Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread by Kate's Recipe Box
• Pickled Garlic Scapes by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Shrimp & Corn Salad with Chesapeake Seasoning by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Smoky Grilled Corn Salsa by Jolene's Recipe Journal

Ingredients

• 1 stem organic, fresh dill flowers
• 1/2 t red pepper chile flakes
• 1/2 t black peppercorns
• enough scapes to roll into a jar (I only had one bunch)
• 3/4 C vinegar
• 1/4 C water
• 2 t salt
• Also needed: lidded jar; nice to have: Pickle Pebble (glass weight to keep the veggies submerged)

Procedure

Place the peppercorns and red pepper chile flakes in the bottom of your jar. Roll the scapes so that they fit nicely into your jar. Set aside.

In a saucepan , bring vinegar, water, salt, and honey to a boil. Pour hot liquid over the scapes, pressing down on the vegetables so that brine covers them completely. I use a Pickle Pebble to keep everything weighted down. Let cool on the counter to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. I try to pickle them for at least 2 days. This will keep, refrigerated for a month.

Because these are more hardy than I thought, I will be chopping them and using them in an egg salad or tuna salad sandwich.