The Great Scape

I was visiting my grandmother the other day, who lives in a very small town where everybody seems knows each other and everything is just more relaxed.
We went out to the local café for lunch, and just as we walked in there was a huge cardboard box with the words: “Organic Garlic Scapes, $2/bag”, scribbled on the side. I can’t imagine what kind of restaurant would ever have such a treasure trove of whole food treats greeting customers at the hostess stand of a big city eatery. Sigh. I love small town Ontario.
On the way out I asked for a bag of scapes, which was almost too big to wrap my arms around, tossed the waitress a toonie, and went on my merry way. My grandmother had never heard or seen anything like them before, as I am sure most people haven’t – unless you’ve been to a farmer’s market lately.

What is a Scape?
Garlic scapes are the curly-cue stalks of the garlic plant that matures along with the garlic blub - the part that most of us are familiar with. As the bulb grows larger underground, the stalk begins to lengthen and develop a seed head. At this stage, the scapes are removed from the plant in order to focus all of the garlic’s energy into the bulb growth. When young, the scapes are lovely and tender, and contain a great deal of flavour - although the stalk never reaches the level of pungency that cloves of garlic contain. I find the flavour is more like a shallot with its subtle sweetness. When roasted or grilled the taste really mellows out to a smooth smokiness with a hint of garlic without the bite.

Scapes can be used in a number of ways. Pesto is a very popular application and a really nice addition to pasta, or as a topping for fresh summer vegetables like tomatoes. I have also had pickled scapes, scape stir-fry, and scape soup. You can sort of treat scapes as you would asparagus, get creative and appreciate them while they are in their peak season!

Nutritious and Delicious
As far as health benefits go, garlic scapes boast many of the same super heatlh-promoting properties that garlic cloves contain. We’re talking loads of manganese, to keep your bones strong and healthy and protect cells from free radical damage; vitamin B6 to support your nervous system; vitamin C to boost your immune system and improve iron absorption; and selenium to reduce joint inflammation. And because you’ll likely to only find locally grown scapes (grocery chains tend to only sell “the familiar”, right?), you can rest assured that the product you’re buying is freshly picked, which means more nutrition!
Head to a farmer’s market or good health food store to find scapes right now – they are not around for long and it is the season for trying something fresh and exciting.



To be honest, I had never grilled scapes before the other night, but these turned out to be one of the most lip-smacking veggies I have ever had the pleasure of munching on. Oh BABY! You must try this as soon as possible and serve it to all of your friends who will surely marvel at this fancy “new” vegetable that no on has ever heard of but tastes like a dream. And as a bonus, let’s talk about that super short ingredient list! I bet you have everything but the scapes in your kitchen right now.

You can serve the grilled scapes on their own as side dish, perhaps with a squeeze of lemon juice, or you can get fancy and make it into a simple summer salad with some bitter lettuce. I chose radicchio, which not only looks beautiful (I love purple and green together), but the bitterness of the lettuce pairs really nicely with the smooth, mellow, garlicky-ness of the scapes. It’s a match made in heaven! I also made a very basic dressing that you can whip up to your taste. After all, it’s summer. Relax and ditch the recipe.

Grilled Scapes
Ingredients:
1 bunch scapes
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt

Directions:
1.Preheat grill to medium high.
2. Pick through scapes and discard any that are mushy or dried out. Cut off tough ends (as you would with asparagus). Rinse and dry.
3. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt.
4. Place scapes on grill and spread out evenly (be careful they don’t fall through!). Close lid and cook for about 3-4 minutes, until they are slightly charred underneath. Flip scapes and continue cooking on the other side until evenly cooked – they should be slightly crunchy still, but not raw!
5. Remove from grill, season to taste (lemon juice is yummy too) and serve.

Optional: Make a dressing out of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, maple syrup and a pinch of sea salt, whisk together. Toss large leaves of radicchio, or other bitter lettuce with dressing, and place grilled scapes on top.

I hope you get chance to try these really special summer treats that would otherwise be tossed away! Happy grilling!

Totally Addictive Kale Crisps

Whew! I made it back to Canada in one piece and the first thing I did when I got here? I made kale crisps. There’s just something about the confines of a plane and watching my fellow passengers chow down on mystery meat that makes me want to run for the nearest bunch of leafy greens as fast as possible. Call me crazy.

Although they may appear a little freaky (you try making baked kale look appetizing), I guarantee that these crisps are every bit as addictive as potato chips! Light, lacey, and crispy, with a hint of whatever kind of seasoning you can throw at ‘em, you will be fighting over every last crumb and wondering how you ever hated kale in the first place. Seriously.

Delicious Addictive Kale?
We all know that kale must be good for us because:
- It looks scary
- It is always in the produce section of health food stores
- Your yoga instructor is constantly trying to get you to eat it

Fine. But I feel the need to make a case for this under-appreciated leaf, because it really is all it’s cracked up to be. First of all, it packs more nutritional punch per calorie than almost any other food on the planet. Seriously. It is crazy-loaded with vitamin K, an essential vitamin for preventing bone fractures, postmenopausal bone loss, calcification of your arteries, and has even been shown to protect against liver and prostate cancer. And because kale is a member of the brassica family (think broccoli, cabbage, collards, and Brussels sprouts) it contains the organosulfur compounds that appear able to lessen the occurrence of a wide variety of cancers, including breast and ovarian cancers.
Kale is also excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese. It is also a very good source of dietary fiber, calcium, copper, vitamin B6, and potassium. This combination of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients makes kale a health superstar, for real.

And besides being SOOOOO healthy, kale actually does taste good when you know how to prepare it. For the novice, I would not suggest munching on kale leaves completely raw, but trying this crisps recipe could be a good first step. Once you’ve mastered that, you could move onto a recipe such as this pan-glazed tempeh, and perhaps then you’ll be ready to eat it in a raw salad. As with any new food, especially when cooking for kids, ease in slowly and try lots of different preparation methods before giving up. Kale is undoubtedly a nutritional miracle and we’d all benefit from it becoming a recurring ingredient in our cooking repertoire.

Totally Addictive Kale Crisps
Ingredients:
•1 bunch of kale
•1/2 lemon
•1 Tbsp. maple syrup
•1 tsp. salt
•1 tsp. tamari
•2 Tbsp. olive oil
•1/4 cup sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 200 F.
2. Wash kale thoroughly and spin dry, trying to remove as much water as possible.
3. Tear kale away from stem. Each kale leaf should be torn into about 6 or eight pieces
4. Place all ingredients except for the kale into a bowl, whisk together.
5. Add the kale and mix together with your hands, gently massaging the leaves with the dressing.
6. Lay kale out on a cookie sheet or pizza pan and place in oven. Set timer for 30 minutes.
7. At 30 minutes, remove from oven and gently unstick kale from pan if it has stuck and replace for another 10-15 minutes until kale is dry and crispy.
8. Allow to cool. Can store in fridge for up to a week.

This recipe is very flexible and you can use any “dressing” you like to change things up if you fancy. My friend Meghan has the most fantastic food blog, and she has five different kale crisp recipes on her site, all of them totally fabulous. It is safe to say that she is a kale chip fanatic – me too!
I hope you give this recipe a try, especially if you have kids/friends/parents/lovers/bosses/bus drivers who hate green things, because they will become kale crisp-devouring monsters, and you a pleased, kale-love purveyor.

Grilled Portobello Magic Mushrooms

It’s grilling season again, which makes this girl very happy. For years I felt left out at barbeques as I usually ended up with a plate full of gloppy potato salad poorly pretending to be happy: “oh no, I love Miracle Whip!” But since finally getting my creative culinary act together, I finally have some really tasty vegetarian grilling options that make even the biggest carnivore come back for seconds. Hooray for that!

This week’s recipe is a simple one, but for those that have never tried a Portobello mushroom on the grill, it’s a magical experience. Juicy, rich, and super satisfying, portobellos can proudly stand next to any steak, give it the up-down and then jump into my mouth. Huh? I am in a weird mood today. Must be all the mushrooms.


Surprise! The magically nutritious fungus...
Portobello mushrooms are the mature versions of the small, brown crimini button mushrooms that are a little more common in the produce aisle, and their range of vitamins and minerals is impressive. Included in their nutritional arsenal are high levels of selenium, riboflavin (vitamin B2), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), copper, niacin (vitamin B3), potassium and phosphorus. Selenium is a micro mineral needed for the proper function of the antioxidant system, which works to reduce the levels of damaging free radicals in the body. These powerful antioxidant actions make selenium helpful not only against colon cancer by protecting colon cells from cancer-causing toxins, but in decreasing asthma and arthritis symptoms and in the prevention of heart disease. In addition, selenium is involved in DNA repair, yet another way in which adequate intake of this mineral is associated with a reduced risk for cancer.
Crimini mushrooms are also a good source of iron, which is primarily used as part of hemoglobin, the molecule responsible for transporting and releasing oxygen throughout the body. But hemoglobin synthesis also relies on copper. Without copper, iron cannot be properly utilized in red blood cells. Fortunately, Mother Nature supplies both minerals in portobello mushrooms!



I made these bad boys for a barbeque party last night, along with an Avocado-Basil Mayonnaise to accompany the dish. This is really just a smoother version of guacamole, except with basil and without all the chunky vegetable additions (that frankly, I have just never understood). My instincts tell me that my Mojo sauce would be totally boss with these too, but I figured I should post another little yummy condiment to perk you appetite. Did it work? Go try it!

Grilled Portobello Magic Mushrooms
Ingredients:
• 6 Portobello mushroom caps (1 per person, adjust recipe accordingly)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tsp. dried thyme
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 3 coves minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Wash mushroom caps well, carefully removing any dirt. Pat dry.
2. Throw all marinade ingredients together in a large plastic bag, smoosch around making sure it is well combined. Place mushrooms in the bag, seal it up, roll contents around to coat, and let sit in the fridge for up to 12 hours (minimum 1 hour). If you think of it, take the bag out from time to time and roll it around – this ensures that the mushrooms are well coated with marinade.
3. Prepare the grill by heating it up to medium-high. Place mushrooms on lightly oiled grill, gill side up, close grill lid and cook for 5-7 minutes or so, until grill marks appear on the underside. Flip, and repeat gill side down. The mushrooms are cooked when they are warm through and have lost a little of their “plumpness” (but they are also great raw!), so no worries about undercooking them.
4. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings, or slide one into a wholegrain bun or wrap with some fresh veggies. Alternatively, you can slice them up and maybe add them to a salad - spinach with pine nuts and parmesan? YUM!

Avocado-Basil Mayonnaise
Ingredients:
•3 ripe avocados
•1 large clove garlic
•juice of ½ lemon
•¼ cup packed, fresh basil leaves
•sea salt to taste

Directions:
1. Place garlic clove in food processor and blend on high to mince.
2. Add everything else, pulse until smooth and basil is well chopped.


Here's a joke to tell while you're standing around the grill watching these juicy babies sizzle away:
"Hey - what do you call a mushroom at a party? A Fun-gi!"

Sorry.

I hope everyone is having a fun and healthy summer so far! I am heading back to the homeland at the end of next week and look forward to posting some recipes from the local produce in Canada. See you all soon!

source: World's Healthiest Foods