Garlic Scape and Shallot Vinaigrette
A refreshing and easy way to enjoy those garden fresh garlic scapes! Great over a salad or used with fish or chicken as a marinade!
Not all are created equally. Olive oil. I’m learning many valuable challenges through this blog journey, and lately it has been heavily centered on olive oil. Extra virgin has always been a kitchen staple for me. I use so much of it I might as well buy a wholesaler’s license! In cooking, drizzled on salads, as a part of many of my dips and spreads, you get the idea. But recently, I’ve started making different dressings, and the taste profile becomes infinitely more important. Extra virgin will have a very distinct, almost bitter flavor, which is really overpowering in lighter dressings like this vinaigrette or a mayonnaise. I would recommend trying a dap of your oil by itself for neutrality of flavor before committing to this recipe, and opt for a grapeseed, avocado, or plain olive oil here.
Know your ingredient. There are many theories out there on proper care and eating of garlic scapes, and further research will prove me wrong, I am sure (please chime in below if you have insight!). When I use these scapes, I rely heavily on feel. The flower itself is not a piece I will use here, so I recommend cutting the stem just below the bulb. From there, you can feel down the remaining stem and the flexibility. Towards the opposite end, the stem will become much more flexible, which is where you will want to cut. It’s the middle section that has more structure that is our beautiful ingredient here!
All of this beautiful dressing…now what?! Try it out on some of these great salads:
Salmon and Spinach Salad with Blueberries and a Lemon Balsamic Vinaigrette
Loaded Chef Salad with Fresh Herb Ranch
Charred Broccoli over Kale Salad with Pickled Onions and Toasted Pine Nuts
Nicoise Salad with a Lemon Peppercorn Vinaigrette
Swiss Chard Salad with Feta, Apple, Almonds and a Lemon Vinaigrette
We are gearing up for the start of farmers market season!!! I’m very excited to experiment with seasonal produce in new and creative ways. If you haven’t been following along, check out some of the previous market tours and join us this season!
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Garlic Scape and Shallot Vinaigrette
Equipment
- Narrow Container Large yogurt containers or tall cans work well too!
- Immersion blender
- Kitchen knife
Ingredients
- 2-3 stalks Garlic Scapes
- 1/2 juice Lemon
- 1 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil Neutral oil-avocado, grapeseed (not extra virgin) works best
- 1-2 tbsp water if desired for consistency
- 1/2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tbsp chopped Shallot
- Salt and Coarse Black Pepper
Instructions
- Remove 'flowers' from garlic scapes and cut into smaller pieces, about an inch long. Add to the container.
- Slice shallot and add. Squeeze lemon, add white wine vinegar, mustard and olive oil. Seasoning with a bit of salt and pepper.
- Using your immersion blender, blend until smooth (the choice of container here should be tall and narrow, to help liquid height as well as splatter when using an immersion blender). Add a splash or two of water if you'd like for thickness.
- Enjoy on your favorite salad or as a marinade for fish or chicken!
