After I was done working, I was off to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s to grab some groceries for the week. I touched base with Bill upon walking into Whole Foods to see if he got any produce at the farmers market, in which case I wouldn’t need to get as much at the store. Bill said that there wasn’t really anything too interesting at the farmers market except for some “garlic schppsis”. For the life of me I could not figure out what he was saying on the phone, and I’m pretty sure he was calling them the wrong name anyway.

“Garlic what?” I asked. “Garlic scraps?” “I think they are called “Garlic Rapes” he replied (Sheesh, I said RAMPS, haha – Bill). I was almost certain there was no way that could be right… “they are kind of like green onions, but from garlic”. Now I was just kind of frustrated. I had no idea what he was talking about, and for the life of me I could not visualize them either. He also didn’t know what to do with them, but he liked how interesting they looked so he bought them. That’s what happens when you send an artist off to buy food.

After a very confusing phone conversation, we agreed that I still had to get some produce for dinner, and left it at that. I’m still not exactly sure how Bill ended up figuring out how to cook them, but regardless they were delicious! Judging by the response on our facebook page, many of you are also fans of these tasty greens. For those of you that are new to this unusual vegetable, garlic scapes are the above-ground shoots from garlic plants, and are harvested this time of year in attempts to make the garlic bulbs grow bigger. They do look similar to green onions, but they have a distinct garlic flavor to them. They are delicious and a fantastic addition to grilled, roasted, or sauteed vegetables. We cannot get enough of these guys right now, and we will definitely be adding them into all sorts of veggies until they are officially “out of season”.

• 1 lb Brussels sprouts, halved
• 1 bunch garlic scapes, cut into 2″ pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to roast at 400 degrees.
2. Toss Brussles sprouts, garlic scapes, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
3. Pour seasoned vegetables into a pyrex baking dish.
4. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the leaves on the Brussles sprouts are crispy. Stir vegetables after 15 minutes to make sure all cook evenly.