Garlic Scape Pesto

What a wonderful Jul 4th weeknd its been! Perfect weather, the days have been quite delightful.

Summer has been bountiful - bought rhubarb and red peppers at the Public Market. Came across garlic scapes at the Public Market and was quite charmed with their sinuous, graceful curves. I used them in a stir-fry and made a simple walnut based pesto with the rest. Strong garlicky flavor, yet different from regular garlic! They are a little more assertive than the garlic scapes we found at Bhaji Gully last winter.

Heres what I did:
1. Chopped up 6-7 tender scapes.
2. Combined 3-4 tablespoons walnuts.
3. Added 1/4 cup olive oil in a slow steady stream.
4. Add salt to taste. Refrigerate to store.

The verdict:
Voilà! Homemade pesto! Good with various kinds of bread, roasted vegetables (summer squash, eggplant and the like).


My tentative steps towards embracing locally foods have been quite positive! The high point of the loca-vore experience may have been "Lento". The ambience is stylish and simple, the emphasis on innovative, seasonal local cuisine. There were lots of young people working at the restaurant - from the host and hostess, to the sommelier, valet and server. They were SO hard-working and polite. It is my favorite restaurant in the area. They have the most vegetarian choices and the most interesting combinations. Omnivores may want to try the duck.

My 'other' favorite restaurants are:
1. I adore Rooney's.
2. I haven't been bowled over by the food at Edibles or 2 Vine but they are both very enjoyable.
3. Tasteology in Pittsford wins brownie points for trying to serve small(er), healthy, portions across the road from the Cheesecake Factory!
Most of these make some effort to serve locally produced dairy, meat, produce and/or wine.

Links:
1. Muffin Love hosts Eating Local!
2. The 100 mile diet.
3. More perspective on eating local.