June 13, 2021
New Veggies - Scapes, Scallions, and Beets
By Linda Dansbury

New crops this week are garlic scapes, beets, scallions and a few zucchini.

Garlic scapes - These are the flower stalk and bud of the garlic plant. They must be removed or the garlic bulb/cloves will not develop because all of the plant's energy will go toward flowering and reproduction. It turns out they are a mild tasting garlic and are quite delicious! Use them as you would garlic, except if you are putting them in a cooked dish, add the chopped scapes at the end of cooking or the taste will disappear. We have a few recipes featuring garlic scapes on this site, including Garlic Scape Pesto and Garlic Scapes and White Bean Dip - both are delicious! Scapes store well in the fridge in plastic, lasting for at least 2 weeks or more.

Beets - A crop that is 2 crops in 1! When you get home, cut the tops off and store separately from the roots. They will store better and won't drain nutrients from the roots. The greens will stay fresh for a week or so, and the beets for several weeks, but they are at their sweetest when used within about 10 days of receiving. Beets are a very versatile veggie, being equally comfortable being roasted, boiled, shredded and eaten raw in salads, and even baked into Chocolate Beet Cake - one of the moistest, delicious cakes you will ever have! I love making beet salad. I typically roast the beets until tender, peel and slice or cut into chunks. Dress with your favorite vinaigrette. I really enjoy beets with a Dijon tarragon vinaigrette. I mix the beets with the dressing and allow to sit to absorb the flavors. I make a bed of greens that are lightly dressed as well. Place the beets on the top of the greens, and top with some feta or goat cheese. If you want, adding some candied pecans or honey cashews is also delicious! As for the greens, add to stews, saute with other greens, blanch and freeze for later, or enjoy as part of one of my favorites - Roasted Beets and Beet Green Risotto - check out this site for many more great beet recipes.

Scallions - I think everyone knows how to use their scallions, but here is something you may not have thought of before: instead of throwing the roots into the trash or compost bin, place them in your freezer with other trimmings and discards to make veggie stock later. The best way to store scallions is to place in a jar with about an inch of water. What I see on the internet is to cover with an open plastic bag in the fridge - change water every few days. I have found I don't need to put the jar in the fridge. If the house got really warm or they aren't used quickly, then the fridge is a good idea.