One of my big tasks this year is to figure out what to do with all of the fresh produce coming out of my garden. If you’re growing your own garlic (And you 100% should!!), that means you have a bumper crop of garlic scapes right now. I’m growing about 150 heads of garlic, so I have a ton of garlic scapes harvested.
If you’re new to garlic scapes, lets talk about preparing and preserving your scapes, because obviously this is too much to eat all at once but you also don’t want to let them go to waste. If you just want the recipe, feel free to scroll all the way down to the bottom.
To prepare your garlic scapes, you’ll want to cut off the tough part of the stalk. I like to cut off the entire bottom half of the stalk to be safe. It’s also best to be alert and to harvest the scapes just as soon as they appear to make sure you get a tender scape. You can use them in any recipe that calls for green beans. They have a pleasant garlicy flavor.
To preserve your stalks, rinse off in the sink and then cut into green bean sized pieces. Spread them out on parchment paper, freeze for an hour and them put them in a zip-lock bag for storage. This way they wont freeze into a giant clump in the bag. You can reach in and grab handfuls as needed for recipes. I don’t have a sheet pan that fits in my freezer, so I just laid a piece of parchment paper directly onto a freezer shelf and this worked perfectly.
I ended up with two gallons of frozen garlic scapes, which should be enough to last me until next year! Don’t let your harvests go to waste! Freezing is probably the easiest and safest way to preserve your fresh produce. Frozen produce can keep in the freezer for about a year.
Easy Asian-Style Garlic Scapes & Tofu
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Sesame oil for sauteing
- 4 cups chopped garlic scapes
- 1 or more teaspoons of red chilli flakes to taste (I used a whole tablespoon)
- ½ cup soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 2 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste or grated fresh ginger
- 2 scallions, chopped
Instructions
- Drain the tofu and cut into bite-sized cubes. Transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle the tofu with the cornstarch and use a spatula to get it good and evenly spread onto the cubes.
- Heat up your wok or cast iron skillet on medium to high heat. Add some sesame oil and sauté your tofu for roughly 10 minutes.
- When ready, set the tofu aside. Add some more oil and now add your chopped garlic scapes. Saute for about 10 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
- While scapes are cooking, assemble your sauce. Mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, and ginger paste together quickly and then pour over your veggies in the wok. Add the tofu back to the skillet. Set on high for a few minutes to give the sauce a chance to thicken up.
- Serve over rice and garnish with chopped scallions. Enjoy!