Stir-Fried Garlic Scapes with Five-Spice Pressed Tofu

This week my CSA box was fuller and more varied than the recent deliveries: green leaf lettuce, red kale, rainbow Swiss chard, bok choy, zucchini, sugar snap peas, cilantro, radishes, kohlrabi, a tomato and several garlic scapes. I was excited about the peas and zucchini, curious about the kohlrabi, and wondered what to do with the garlic scapes.

CSA Box #4: Radishes, Red Kale, Kohlrabi, Green Leaf Lettuce, Bok Choy, Cilantro, Zucchini, Tomato and Sugar Snap Peas

After making several batches of basil garlic scape pesto and a Swiss chard–garlic scape pesto with cilantro, I had a good stash of pesto in the freezer. Garlic scapes freeze well when portioned into ice cube trays and are handy to toss into soups, stir-fries and pasta. If you’ve ever received more garlic scapes than you can use right away, note that they keep for several weeks in the refrigerator and can replace garlic in many recipes—only milder in flavor.

That evening I made a fresh dinner by tossing Swiss chard garlic scape–cilantro pesto with hot gluten-free pasta, kalamata olives, fresh tomatoes and zucchini ribbons, finished with a squeeze of lemon. It was simple, bright and a hit with everyone.

Zucchini ribbons tossed with Swiss chard–garlic scape–cilantro pesto and a squeeze of lemon.

If you prefer a different preparation than pesto, try stir-frying garlic scapes. They work beautifully with vegetables or pressed tofu. Trim the thin, tough “whip” at the tip of each scape before slicing the thicker stem and flower bud into bite-size pieces; the trimmed tip is usually too fibrous to enjoy in a stir-fry.

Trim the thin “whip” above the garlic scape bulb before stir-frying; it can be tough.

Today I experimented with two versions: garlic scapes stir-fried with red kale from the box, and a restaurant-inspired dish—stir-fried five-spice pressed tofu with peppers—substituting garlic scapes for the usual Chinese chives. Because garlic scapes are a bit firmer than chives, I par-boiled them for one minute to soften them slightly before stir-frying. Their texture is similar to a cross between chives and tender asparagus, with a pleasant crunch.

Stir-fried garlic scapes with red kale from the CSA box.

Five-spice pressed tofu can be found at many Asian grocery stores and some specialty markets, or you can make your own at home. The firm texture and savory seasoning of pressed tofu make it an excellent partner for the mild allium flavor of garlic scapes.

Five-spiced pressed tofu is common in Asian markets or can be made at home.

The stir-fry was a hit at my house—even my husband, who usually prefers meat, went back for seconds. It’s vegan, satisfying and quick to prepare, making it an easy way to showcase seasonal garlic scapes.

Stir-Fry Garlic Scapes with Pressed Tofu

Printable recipe available from the original source.

Ingredients:

• 6 garlic scapes, trimmed and cut into 2″ pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 Thai bird chili pepper, minced (optional)
• 1 piece five-spice pressed tofu, sliced into thin strips
• 1 scallion, cut into 1″ pieces
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon organic sugar

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the garlic scapes for one minute, then drain and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a wok or large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the red bell pepper, minced chili (if using) and garlic scapes.
3. Stir-fry for about one minute, then add the pressed tofu and scallions.
4. Stir-fry another minute, then add soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil and sugar. Toss to combine and cook for an additional minute. Serve hot.