Last summer Neil and I were introduced to garlic scapes for the first time ever. We had unexpectedly gotten a bunch through an organic produce delivery service and we experimented with a few different ways of cooking with them.
And just as soon as we had fallen in love with the gorgeously green and deliciously mild stalks, the season was over and they disappeared.
So, you can imagine our delight when right smack in the middle of winter (far from garlic scape season) we stumbled upon organic garlic scape powder from Ontario-based Chef Organics at our favorite spice store in Toronto, The Spice Trader.
We had gone into the store to stock up on some of our favorite cupboard must-haves but as always, owner Allison Johnston offered up some amazing tips on new products and what to do with them. She asked us if we had ever tasted garlic scape powder and our eyes popped. She told us we had to try it, saying it was delicious added into just about anything or even just sprinkled into olive oil and used as a dip for bread.
She was right. Since then, I’ve been sprinkling garlic scape powder into everything from mashed parsnips to soups and salad dressings.
Garlic scapes themselves have a milder flavor than garlic cloves and the powder has a bit of a sweetness to it that’s really wonderful. Chef Organics describes the taste as having a slight hint of onion. It smells amazing, it tastes great and it’s a good way to keep garlic scapes in your cooking repertoire throughout the year.
I decided to whip up a quick garlic scape hummus and I loved how pretty it looked with a bit of powder sprinkled on top.
If you’ve never made hummus at home before, you won’t believe how easy it is. This recipe can be made with regular garlic powder of course, but if you can get your hands on some garlic scape powder, definitely give it a try. You’ll notice such a pleasant difference in the taste.
Garlic Scape Hummus
1 small can chickpeas, drained
1 Tbsp tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp garlic scape powder (or to taste) plus extra for sprinkling on top
Good quality olive oil
Sea salt
In a food processor, add the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic scape powder. Turn the food processor on and slowly add in olive oil until you get a consistency that you like. The longer you let it go, the smoother and fluffier the hummus will be. Season with sea salt.
I like to serve hummus drizzled with a little bit of olive oil and sprinkled with some garlic scape powder on top.
Communal Table 