- February 2013 (2)
- April 2013 (1)
- May 2013 (1)
- June 2013 (4)
- July 2013 (11)
- August 2013 (2)
- September 2013 (2)
- October 2013 (2)
- December 2013 (1)
- January 2014 (9)
- February 2014 (6)
- March 2014 (10)
- April 2014 (7)
- May 2014 (8)
- June 2014 (7)
- July 2014 (3)
- August 2014 (15)
- September 2014 (10)
- October 2014 (7)
- November 2014 (2)
- December 2014 (6)
- January 2015 (3)
- February 2015 (6)
- March 2015 (6)
- April 2015 (5)
- May 2015 (5)
- June 2015 (3)
- July 2015 (1)
- September 2015 (1)
- October 2015 (1)
- November 2015 (7)
- December 2015 (7)
- January 2016 (12)
- February 2016 (7)
- March 2016 (9)
- April 2016 (8)
- May 2016 (5)
- June 2016 (6)
- July 2016 (8)
- August 2016 (8)
- September 2016 (5)
- October 2016 (7)
- November 2016 (1)
- December 2016 (6)
- January 2017 (3)
- February 2017 (3)
- March 2017 (1)
- June 2017 (1)
- July 2017 (1)
- August 2017 (2)
- September 2017 (3)
- November 2017 (1)
- December 2017 (1)
- January 2018 (1)
- February 2018 (1)
- May 2018 (1)
- June 2018 (3)
- August 2018 (3)
- September 2018 (3)
- October 2018 (5)
- November 2018 (2)
- January 2019 (1)
- February 2019 (2)
- March 2019 (3)
- April 2019 (3)
- May 2019 (5)
- June 2019 (2)
- July 2019 (4)
- August 2019 (5)
- September 2019 (5)
- October 2019 (5)
- November 2019 (4)
- December 2019 (6)
- January 2020 (6)
- February 2020 (4)
- March 2020 (7)
- April 2020 (5)
- May 2020 (4)
- June 2020 (3)
- July 2020 (5)
- August 2020 (5)
- September 2020 (4)
- October 2020 (7)
- November 2020 (4)
- December 2020 (3)
- January 2021 (3)
- February 2021 (5)
- March 2021 (8)
- April 2021 (4)
- May 2021 (5)
- June 2021 (7)
- July 2021 (4)
- August 2021 (5)
- September 2021 (3)
- October 2021 (2)
- November 2021 (2)
- January 2022 (3)
- February 2022 (1)
- March 2022 (2)
- April 2022 (1)
- May 2022 (4)
- June 2022 (6)
- July 2022 (7)
- August 2022 (6)
- September 2022 (4)
- October 2022 (3)
- November 2022 (1)
- December 2022 (1)
- January 2023 (3)
- February 2023 (2)
- March 2023 (5)
- April 2023 (3)
- May 2023 (3)
- June 2023 (5)
- July 2023 (2)
- August 2023 (1)
- September 2023 (3)
- October 2023 (2)
- January 2024 (2)
- February 2024 (4)
- April 2024 (2)
- May 2024 (2)
- June 2024 (19)
- July 2024 (2)
- August 2024 (1)
- September 2024 (5)
- October 2024 (3)
Garlic's Cooler Cousins
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Well, just kidding... these garlic-like spring veggies definitely *aren't* cooler than garlic itself. We LOVE garlic and truly can't get enough of it–omitting it from a recipe is something we'll never condone. However, using some of these seasonal offshoots of garlic certainly add a little pizzazz to your dish! Here are some of our favorite ways to use garlic chives, green garlic, and garlic scapes.
Garlic chives, common in Chinese cooking, look similar to the typical chives you'll find in grocery stores around here. Some varieties flower (like those shown here), while others don't. Chop them up and use them any place you'd use chives, though these will pack a garlicky punch!
We like to put garlic chives into these Garlic Chive & Pork Potstickers or make them into compound butter (recipes below), but there are so many other ways to use them! Add to potato salad or mashed potatoes, homemade ranch dressing...
Garlic Chive & Pork Potstickers
You'll need:
- 6 oz ground pork
- 1 Tbsp minced ginger
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup garlic chives, chopped
- 14 dumpling wrappers
Instructions:
- In a bowl, combine pork, 1 Tbsp water, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic & half of garlic chives
- Fill a small bowl with water and line up dumpling wrappers on countertop
- Place about 3/4 Tbsp of pork mixture in middle of each wrapper
- Wet your index finger with water and trace along edges of the wrappers, then fold in half
- over pork and press edges to seal
- Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a sauté pan with a lid over med-high
- Add potstickers and fry for about 2–3 min, or until bottoms are golden brown
- Add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup water into the pan, enough to reach 1/4 of the way up the potstickers, then cover and let steam 3–5 min, until water is mostly evaporated
- Garnish with remaining garlic chives and serve with your favorite dipping sauce
Garlic Chive Compound Butter
You'll need:
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 3 tsp minced garlic chives
- Zest of 1 lemon
- salt & pepper
Instructions:
- Let butter sit out at room temp to soften
- In a small bowl, mix with remaining ingredients until fully incorporated
- Serve with grilled meats, spread onto toast (hello, easy garlic bread!), or use anywhere you'd use plain 'ole butter
Green garlic is actually just young garlic! Garlic is typically harvested in the summer, while green garlic is harvested early, in the spring. Unlike mature garlic, there's no papery outer layer that needs to be peeled off, and the long necks are tender and can be eaten along with the bulb.
It has a milder flavor than the garlic bulbs you find at the grocery store and can be used in recipes in place of onions, scallions, or shallot. We really like it in the Green Garlic Confit and Green Garlic Salmon recipes below! You can also use it in place of onions, shallots, or scallions in any recipe.
Green Garlic Confit
You'll need:
- 3 stalks green garlic, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups olive oil
- A pinch of salt
Instructions:
- Add all ingredients to a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over low heat
- Continue cooking for about 30 min, until garlic is very tender
- Taste and add more salt to taste
- Serve spread on toast topped with a fried egg or crisp radish
Green Garlic Salmon
You'll need:
- 1 stalk green garlic
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 x 5 oz salmon fillets
- 1/4 cup white wine
- Salt & pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Trim very bottom root from green garlic, then cut in half lengthwise and very thinly slice white & light green parts (discard darker green stalks)
- Place butter in a baking dish and put in the oven to melt
- Pat salmon dry and season with salt & pepper
- Remove baking dish from oven and whisk in white wine & green garlic, then add salmon and turn to coat all sides
- Return to oven and bake 10-12 min, until cooked through
- Serve salmon with pan sauce atop couscous or quinoa and alongside roasted veggies
This curly bunch of garlic scapes is really just the soft stems of hardneck garlic plants! When fresh, garlic scapes have a crisp, crunchy texture akin to that of green beans, but you can chop them and sauté for a softer texture. The flavor is mild with a touch of sweetness, similar to chives. Below are recipes for Garlic Scape Pesto and Garlic Scape Aioli, but they're also great chopped up and tossed into a stir fry or just grilled whole. To make a pretty garnish, slice them very thinly lengthwise and put into a bowl of ice water–they'll curl up into a beautiful little topping for you meal!
Garlic Scape Pesto
You'll need:
-
2 Tbsp garlic scapes, minced
-
2 cups fresh basil
-
1/2 cup pecans
-
1/3 cup parmesan
-
1/2 cup olive oil
-
3 Tbsp lemon juice
-
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth
- Mix into pasta, add to wraps or sandwiches, or use as a salad dressing
Garlic Scape Aioli
You'll need:
- 1 Tbsp garlic scapes, minced
-
1/2 cup mayonnaise
-
Zest of half a lemon
- 1 tsp lemon juice
-
Salt to taste
Instructions:
- Mix all ingredients together until fully incorporated
-
Use on sandwiches, as a dipping sauce for artichoke hearts or fries, or serve with steak