If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you know we’re still waiting for this season called spring and it’s almost summer! The cold temps have delayed most crops - but I have to say, the lettuce, spinach, peas, mustards, parsley, potatoes, rhubarb, and garlic are thriving! (And so are the weeds!)

Garlic scapes are a little slow this year, but I see elephant spears are starting to shoot straight up, which means the curly scapes from the gourmet hardnecks are not far behind.

If you haven’t tried scapes, they are a real treat. Milder than the bulbs, they are perfect in pestos, lightly steamed with other veggies (a perfect match with asparagus!), or with pasta, seafood, eggs - well, I might be biased, but just about everything!

Keep in mind that cooking will lessen (some would say “mellow”) the flavor. Use raw for full strength. For cooked dishes, I generally chop them up and toss them in at the last minute. If you let them sit a few minutes after slicing, the enzymes in the garlic react and create chemical compounds (allicin and ajoene) that provide more health benefits.

Contact me at blythe [at] barbolian [dot] com or 360-681-3891 for availability.

YES! I am open to trades & barters!