It seems like every year in early June, I pick up a bunch of garlic scapes at the farmers’ market or a farm stand and make a sauce with them. Last year, it was Garlic Scape-Cilantro Pesto, a few years before that it was Garlic Scape Chimichurri. Garlic scapes are the long, skinny green tops of hardneck garlic; growers cut them off this time of year so that the plant can then direct all of its energy down to the bulb.

I liked the Garlic Scape-Cilantro Pesto so much that I decided to take it one step further this year and make hummus. I started with the three ingredients from the pesto – garlic scapes, cilantro leaves, and olive oil – and added chickpeas, lemon juice, and a bit of tahini at the end. And salt along the way.

You can play around with this recipe in terms of the amount of chickpeas you add, how much lemon juice you add – and whether you add tahini at all (optional!). (I like Soom brand tahini, which only needs a brief whisk to come together.) I suggest you taste at every step of the way and add more of something until you like what you’ve got. I think this is particularly good on grilled or toasted bread.

Makes 1 1/2 cups

 

  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced garlic scapes
  • 2/3 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
  • Kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more if needed
  • 1 cup drained and rinsed (and dried) canned chickpeas
  • 2 to 4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons well-stirred tahini (optional)
  • Pita crisps or toasted or grilled bread for serving

 

1. Put the garlic scapes and the cilantro leaves in the bowl of a medium-sized food processor. Process, pulsing many times, until the scapes and cilantro are very finely chopped. Add a big pinch of kosher salt and all the olive oil. Process again until the mixture lightens in color and emulsifies a bit. It will look somewhat creamy but the scapes will still be in tiny pieces.

2. Add the chickpeas and another big pinch of salt to the food processor and pulse repeatedly until the chickpeas are finely chopped and the mixture is well-combined.

3. Add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, pulse well and taste. Add more lemon juice and/or a bit more salt if you like. (Don’t be afraid to add salt!)

4. Add the tahini, pulse again until well-combined, and taste. Adjust seasonings as necessary. And you can always add a touch more olive oil if you want something a bit thinner, too.

5. Serve with pita crisps or toasted bread. Or store in fridge for up to a few days. Bring to room temperature before serving.