There's a green, waste-not satisfaction to eating practically every scrap of a plant. Joan Norman of One Straw Farm in White Hall recalled the African farmer who turned her on to sweet potato leaves. (The leaves of regular spud are poisonous, Norman noted.)
"In my country, we're hungry," the farmer told her.
"Some of these things, you're dumb not to eat them," said Norman, who's also become a big fan of cauliflower and broccoli leaves. "To die for," she said of the latter. "Why would I even bother with broccoli if I can have the leaves?"
But even Norman doesn't make use of every edible bit. She doesn't mess with squash blossoms. "Too hard."
Spring Potato and Garlic Scape Vichyssoise
Makes: six to eight servings
4
local potatoes, preferably Yukon gold, peeled, pitted of eyes and diced
1
onion, roughly chopped
2
cups chicken stock (vegetable stock may be substituted)
1
tablespoon salt
1
teaspoon black pepper
1
cup heavy cream
1/4
cup buttermilk
1/2
pound garlic scapes, chopped
Simmer the potatoes and onion in the chicken stock and cream until tender. Puree and allow to cool completely.
Blanch the garlic scapes in a pot of boiling water, remove and immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water to preserve color. Puree with the buttermilk and fold into the cooled soup base.
If desired, the soup can be garnished with garlic roots. Dust in cornstarch. Shake off the excess and drop into a pan of hot oil until crispy.
By Christian deLutis, chef de cuisine at The Dogwood in Hampden
Nutrition information
Per serving (based on 8): 243 calories, 6 grams protein, 12 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat, 30 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 43 milligrams cholesterol, 986 milligrams sodium
Garlic Scape Pesto
Makes: 8 servings
1/4
pound garlic scapes, chopped into one-inch lengths (seed bulb portion and above discarded)
1/4
cup pine nuts
1/2
cup olive oil
1/2
cup grated Parmesan cheese
3
tablespoons lemon juice
1
teaspoon salt or more to taste
Puree scapes and nuts in a food processor until finely chopped. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until smooth. Stir in Parmesan, lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve on bread, crackers or pasta.
Adapted from a recipe by Rita Calvert, which appeared in Edible Chesapeake
Nutrition information
Per serving: 189 calories, 3 grams protein, 18 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 5 grams carbohydrate, trace fiber, 4 milligrams cholesterol, 370 milligrams sodium
