This Garlic Scape Herb Compound Butter is so very tasty and couldn’t be easier! It enhances the flavor of fish and seafood, vegetables, potatoes, pasta, just about anything you can imagine!
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I am so excited about this post! Not because it’s anything terribly special or clever but because Garlic Scapes are my new, favorite food on the planet! I have always been afraid to try planting garlic because we have very heavy, clay soil. Every year I would go to the garlic festivals in August and just wish. Last year I got my husband on board (because he loves garlic too). So we got 3 or 4 bags of sand from the garden center. We also used peat moss, pea stone and some topsoil I had leftover from spring planting. He got out the backhoe and went to town.
Any excuse to get out the heavy equipment and he is in! I don’t know why I didn’t think about it before!!
So I planted 18 cloves from the garlic I got at the garlic festival; a variety of cultivars, just to see which ones liked our soil best!
I was so excited when I saw them come up this Spring! I watched for garlic scapes (the stalk of and flower bud) carefully. They can not flower or the flower will take the nutrients from the bulb and the bulbs will be smaller. So you cut off the buds and stalks.
Too my further delight, in mid June the scapes finally appeared. I have been looking at other bloggers’ posts with envy every year with all the garlic scape recipes. I have never found them at the farmer’s market. Apparently, the farmers don’t know there is a demand for them.
Anyhoo, enough about garlic planting.. on to my Garlic Scape Herb Compound Butter! Garlic Scapes have a very mild flavor. No bitterness to be found! Not exactly like roasted garlic, but reminiscent. It couldn’t be easier to make either.
Let your butter come to room temperature. Chop the garlic scapes fairly small, both the buds and the stalks. Saute’ the garlic scapes for a few minutes in just a tad of olive oil, just to soften. You don’t want them to brown or lose their glorious color! Then let them come to room temperature. Chop a bit of parsley, basil and chives. Oregano, sage and thyme would be great too, depending on the flavor profile you are looking for.
Use the Garlic Scape Herb Compound Butter on fresh vegetables, here on mixed summer squash. It is also great on fish, seafood, meats.
Quick and easy variation of bruschetta or garlic bread is also great! Check out my friend Laura Tobin’s post from Your Guardian Chef, for a great tutor on bruschetta!You also might like these other awesome recipes I’ve made with garlic scapes! Chicken Florentine Pizza with Garlic Scape Pesto, Garlic Scape Pesto, Shrimp Pasta Salad with Garlic Scape Pesto.
I hope you enjoyed the post today! Leave a comment below and let me know if you have used garlic scapes and what your favorite recipes for garlic scapes are!
Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy! And have fun cooking!
This Garlic Scape Herb Compound Butter is easy with a beautifully mild garlic flavor!
- 1 lb unsalted butter, softened to room temperature.
- 1/2 c garlic scape, buds and stalks, chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 1 splash olive oil
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Soften garlic in olive oil over medium low heat, watching carefully. Garlic should just soften, not brown. Once garlic has softened, allow to cool to room temperature.
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Add butter, garlic and herbs together. Mix thoroughly. Wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap. Cool in refrigerator or store in freezer to prolong shelf life.
I am drooling just thinking about spreading this across a nice, juicy steak. I need to make this!!
Absolutely! Beautiful on steak! If you can’t find scapes, you can substitute garlic cloves. Thanks Rae!
I’m not a gardener and have never planted anything in my life. In fact, I even managed to kill off a plant from my in-laws that they said will definitely not be kill-able (oh hello, not kill-able you say?). Jokes aside, this compound butter looks so lovely, I’m drooling at the pictures. I’m guessing I will need to use garlic cloves then 🙂
I would try roasting the garlic cloves and adding a bit more fresh herbs so you don’t lose the pretty color! It will be a bit different, but closer to the flavor than raw garlic! Thanks for your comment Anita! (If it makes you feel any better I have a BS in horticulture and kill houseplants too! 🙂 )
I can think of SO MANY things that this would be delicious on/with!! So perfect even with just a simple loaf of fresh bread!
Absolutely! I’ve made a few things but I could honestly eat it straight, lol! I still have 1/2 pound left, I’ll update and show you what I made with it!
This garlic scape looks fabulous! I love the herbs and the different ways you can use it! Awesome recipe as always Beth!
Thank you Elaine! I will save you some next year and ship it over!
I also love garlic scape and get mine through the mail from Oregon. Your garden sounds wonderful too!
Oh, do you really? I have talked to 2 local farmers and told them to save them for me next year. Hopefully next year! Thanks Ginny!
I love scares! They can be hard to come by around here, but next time I see them I am making this!
It’s like the farmers don’t know they are saleable! I have tried to educate a few local guys! Hopefully… Thanks, Mary!
I love scapes! I put them in potato salad (no mayo) but this looks like a good idea, too!
Yes they are great in a lot of things! I have a few new ones coming to the blog soon! Thanks, Christina!
I love garlic scape too and haven’t thought about planting it in my garden. Great idea! I bet that spread is amazing!
They are super easy! The only maintenance required is cutting off the scapes! Which is a pleasure! Thanks, Ginny!
I too love the idea of making flavored butter at home. Just the other day I made one using sun dried tomatoes. Love your idea of using garlic & herbs.Gorgeous!
Garlic scapes are delicious! You should give them a try, Priya!
Fantastic recipe as always Beth! I just love these butters with herbs and/or garlic, if there is any, I will use it on all my food, YUM!
Thank you Patty! Yes, I agree and garlic scapes are my new favorite food!