WEEK 2
June 16, 2015
Welcome to Week 2!
This week we are getting garlic scapes. For those of you who may be new to the CSA and may not know what they are, I can tell you that they are a wonderful Springtime gift. Garlic scapes are the part of the garlic that sticks up out of the ground in the spring. That’s the part that forms a flower if allowed to continue growing. But, allowing the scape to flower will prevent the bulb from growing underground, as the flower will use all the food stored in the bulb to produce the next generation. So, the scape is cut off in order to allow the bulb to grow. Lucky us!
Garlic scapes are quite delicious, and they keep in the refrigerator for a very long time. You could just use them as you’d use regular garlic – in salads and sandwiches or mixed with cream cheese. But, there’s much more that can be done with them. Here’s a recipe for Okonomiyaki with garlic scapes and cabbage. Okonomiyaki means “whatever you like cooked,” so you can use almost anything in addition to the scapes in this recipe. The Swiss chard and Chinese cabbage in this week’s share would be great.
Another good name for this recipe would be Japanese Pancakes with Everything.
OKONOMIYAKI WITH GARLIC SCAPES AND CABBAGE
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1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbs. sriracha (hot chile sauce)
1 Tbs. ketchup
2 cups very thinly sliced green cabbage
4 thinly sliced garlic scapes
Pinch of salt
5 eggs
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds
1/3 cup flour
Olive oil, butter, or peanut oil for frying
1/2 lime
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sriracha, and ketchup. Adjust the amounts in the mixture until it tastes good to you. It’s kind of a spicy Russian dressing.
2. Heat a tablespoon of oil or butter in a large frying pan. Stir in the cabbage and scapes and saute with a big pinch of salt for a few minutes, until the vegetables just start to soften. Remove from the heat and set the vegetables aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Stir in the cooked vegetables.
4.Heat more butter or oil over medium-high heat. You don’t need a clean pan – use the one you used to saute the scapes and cabbage.
5. Drop large spoonfuls of the batter into the pan and squash them flat as they cook. Cook for a couple of minutes, until brown, then flip and cook until the second side is brown (just another minute).
6. Transfer cooked pancakes to a plate.
7. Squeeze the lime all over the okonomiyaki. Serve them with the pink sauce for dipping or spreading. You can also sprinkle them with chopped peanuts, chopped cilantro or sesame seeds.
HELPFUL HINT: If you are sauteing something in oil, putting the food into the oil in the pan too early will result in greasy soggy food. Heat the pan, and test it with a drop of water. if you drop the cold water into the pan and it “dances” around, the pan is hot enough. Add the oil and watch until the surface appears wavy (just a matter of seconds) and then add your food.
I hope you enjoy this recipe. Have a delicious week!
Best,
Judi