Oh Right, Garlic Scapes...

I previously promised an entry on garlic scapes, but have not yet gotten around to producing anything particularly photogenic at home with them. So here's a text-only account of the scape.

Available only for a few weeks during late spring and early summer, garlic scapes are part of the stem portion of the garlic plant. There are two parts to the scape, the stem and the blossom. The stem is green and crunchy, almost like a green bean, but very smooth and cylindrical. They can be a couple inches to a couple feet long, but are usually trimmed down to several inches when sold. (Sometimes the entire garlic plant is sold whole, from bulb to leaves to stem to blossom. Very cool but usually not the best value) As the season progresses, the blossom grows from a small nub to a golf ball sized cluster of hominy-esque garlic kernels. When peeled of its outer skin, it is a fairly attractive flower, as long as you don't mind the Dracula busting aroma.

The stem section has a very strong bite raw or cooked and makes a fine addition to risottos and vegetable sautes, but by far my favorite application is tempura fried. I made it a few times with varying success, and I don't recall the key to success, but I do know that very hot oil is crucial. The blossom is slightly subtler in flavor and kick, with a creamy texture when cooked. Tonight, I used them in lentil soup, sweating them with the aromatics (and lamb bacon v2.0...). It was a nice textural contrast. My favorite preparation would have to be caramelization, though. In a small amount of oil over low heat, cook the separated blossoms until they are very soft and uniformly dark golden brown. Most recently, I used this application at work, in the one-week absence of my chef, on the special I ran.

Tuna Watermelon Salad

• Prepare garlic blossom kernels as directed above
  
• Remove the rind from a whole watermelon and carve so that cross-sections are uniform circles
• Thinly slice the watermelon into friendly, manageable circles. (Don't forget to collect the juices to add to sparkling water, pop, or prosecco)
  
• Rub down a small (4 oz) tuna steak with salt and ground coriander (or seasonings of your choice)
• Sear on both sides in a screaming hot (cast iron, ideally) pan, making sure not to overcook the fish. (Center should be 1/2-2/3 rare/raw)
• While tuna is resting, compose the salad, beginning with the watermelon on the plate.
• Toss a handful of arugula with the mild flavored vinaigrette of your choice and mound with maximum elevation atop the watermelon.
• Thinly and uniformly slice the tuna, then arrange around the base of the watermelon and salad, forming a single ring, discarding (read: consuming) the ends.
• Garnish with garlic kernels atop the salad and herb oil and watermelon granita on the side of the plate.
• Sell like crazy because it rocks!