Meg Goes Nom Nom

Garlic scapes were today’s fun new ingredient. These guys showed up in my CSA box this week, so I had to find a way to use them. Garlic scape pesto is by far the most common internet recipe to be found for these guys, so this afternoon I went ahead and made, you guessed it, Garlic Scape Pesto, guided by the recipe in my CSA newsletter.

First I combined chopped walnuts (around 1/3 cup) with coarsely chopped of garlic scapes (just under one cup; removed the pointy flowery part) in my food processor.

Next I gave them a whirl in the food processor.

Next I drizzled in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper, and continued to process until smooth.

Here’s how my Garlic Scape Pesto turned out, after stirring in 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese:

I order to utilize the pesto, the next step in my dinner preparation was to sauté sliced onion, red bell pepper, and summer squash in EVOO for a few minutes until crisp-tender. I seasoned with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme.

I mixed a few tablespoons of Garlic Scape Pesto with several ounces of cooked rotini pasta, combined with sautéed veggies, and sprinkled with scallions and shredded parmesan cheese for this dinner side dish, served with grilled steak (which turned out buttery and amazing!).

..I also stirred in a melted tablespoon of butter into the pasta because it just needed something to add a little ….decadence.

[The above pasta recipe was inspired by THIS recipe!]

For dessert I made a… well, decadent (but low-cal!) pudding. I’ve had a surplus of milk in my house, so we’ve been making lots of sugar-free instant chocolate pudding! Tonight I topped it with sliced bananas, strawberries, and drizzled with melted dark chocolate.

Oh.my.pudding.

Oh, and as an update was promised, I did indeed complete my 4 mile run today, in just about 40 minutes exactly! Slow but steady!

 Currently listening to: Time Is Running Out – Muse.