For a foodie like myself, mid summer has to be the best time of the year. We are fortunate to have some very accessible farmers markets in our area and several Metro Parks do-it-yourself pea patches dotted throughout the city. With all these opportunities for fresh bounty, I rarely have to visit the grocery store.



Believe it or not, I have a small container garden and a lovely collection of fresh herbs growing in my own yard. I started growing the basil way too early and anyone with half a brain knows that basil doesn’t even start to mature until late July.



So I’ve got my basil, bell peppers, rosemary, mint, tarragon, oregano, lemon thyme, regular thyme and tomatillos that seem to be stunted at the moment. Perhaps they could stand a chance if the dog would stop peeing on them. Note to friends: think twice about eating my homemade salsa verde. I also have two grape vines and one will actually bear fruit this year!

So excited.



At one point in time, I considered renting my own plot and trying my hand at gardening up some of my own green grub, until this year when two of my neighbors with pea patches started sharing their organic wealth. About every other day I get a grocery bag of red, green or romaine lettuce, garlic and just about every damn type of onion under the sun, and I love, love, love me some onions.



Speaking of onions and garlic, while strolling through the 6th Ave Farmers Market I discovered garlic scapes, the flower/seed stalk that shoots up from the garlic bulb. They’re so pretty, you almost want to put them in a vase with water and display them on your kitchen table. But I would rather eat them.



They have a gentle but spicy undertone and an exquisitely fresh green, mellow taste. Unlike regular garlic, which needs some kind of vehicle to carry its intense flavor to the mouth, scapes are self-sufficient, vegetable and aromatic all in one.



They’re not bad just cut into pieces and sautéed with butter or olive oil like you would with green beans or asparagus. For the less adventurous, they can also be a great addition to a stir-fry or salad. I did make a lovely pesto out of the scapes with this recipe:



Ingredients:

• 1cup garlic scapes (about 8 or 9 scapes), top flowery part removed, cut into _-inch slices


• 1/3 cup pine nuts (walnuts can be substituted)


• 3/4 cup olive oil


• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• black pepper to taste

Place scapes and nuts in a food processor and blend until somewhat smooth. Slowly drizzle in oil and process until integrated. With a rubber spatula, scoop pesto out of bowl and into a mixing bowl. Add Parmesan to taste; add salt and pepper. Transfer to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator.



As we know, basil makes the best traditional pesto, and farmer’s markets should have lovely bunches ready soon. Here’s a tip for some basil pesto now and later: process the basil, garlic and oil now, then freeze in ice cube trays, pop-out cubes and store in zip-lock bags for later. Thaw a few cubes when you need to make pesto, add the nuts, salt, cheese and blend well in the food processor.



If you can’t grow it yourself and you’re not blessed with over achieving neighbors like me, get out to your local farmer’s market. Here is a great Web site to get you started: www.wafarmersmarkets.com.



Eat out, Tacoma. We need your love.