Garlic Scape & Pistachio Pesto

I absolutely adore garlic scapes, they are the flowering bulb of the garlic plant and they must be cut off so that they root end will grow big and potent heads of garlic. Many farmers used to just cut and compost them, never realizing how incredible they were. Now you can get them every spring at the farmers market or your local co-op, as they have gained culinary notoriety. They are still hard to find in run of the mill grocery stores, so I highly suggest that if you only visit the farmers market once a year then go for this item! They are sweet and mildly garlicky, I just love to eat them any way possible. Someone I know described them as being like a "garlicky green bean" and that description is right on point. They are crunchy and lend themselves well to almost any dish. I snip them into scrambled eggs, grate them into sauces or my most favorite way to use them is in a large batch of pesto. It keeps them raw, which is how they taste best. This particular pesto uses salted pistachios and I think it is an incredible combination. The pistachios are also slightly sweet and they pair perfectly with the scapes, making a deeply green pesto that you will want to put on everything. I like to make up a big batch and freeze it in ice cube trays and then I have it all year long for anything my heart desires. I melt it straight from the freezer into soups, stews and sauces, I thaw it for pesto mayo and I also use it as a topping for  crostini. The sky is the limit, its just plain delicious!

This makes about 2 Cups of pesto, cut the recipe in half if you want less, but it freezes beautifully.

Ingredients

10 Organic garlic scapes, roughly chopped.
1 Cup loosely packed, organic basil leaves
1/2 Cup salted pistachios, I like the salt level, feel free to use unsalted.
Pinch sea salt
1 tsp wild garlic mustard seeds, these I foraged feel free to use fresh ground black pepper.
1/3 Cup parmesan cheese, grated.
1/2 tsp local honey
1 Cup extra virgin olive oil, use the very best here.

Directions

Place everything, but the olive oil, in a food processor and pulse till it is roughly chopped and starting to make a sauce.

While the machine is running slowly pour the olive oil into the pesto and whir till it just starts to pull away from the sides of the machine, I like a chunky pesto. Feel free to continue processing if you want a smoother product.

Serve on a crostini with a slice of sharp manchego,  melt over hot pasta or dollop on the top of your favorite soup, I hope you enjoy!

It will keep in the fridge for up to 2 months, place any that you will not use in that time into the freezer. I like to freeze it in an ice cube tray and then pop them out into a freezer bag to use all year long.