Garlic ramps

At the Farmer's Market this morning they had garlic ramps. I've heard of them but never seen them. They are very long string like greens with a pinkish swelling near one end that looks like the beginning of a bulb of some sort. In researching them on the internet, a garlic ramp looks nothing like what I purchased. The farmer told me she loves to make pesto out of them or to saute them like garlic. I'm wondering how they would be in a pasta, arugula, flank steak salad I am making tonight?

Sounds like the wild garlic weeds that grow in my lawn Karen. Do the tops look like this?



And does the plant look like this?



If so, I think the greens taste closer to chives than garlic. The bulbs are garlicky though. I use them all the time instead of shallots in the summer.

Here is what mine look like.

Hmmmm Karen...that doesn't look like the wild garlic or the store bought garlic ramps that I have bought. Interesting! Let us know how they taste!

I found out these are actually garlic scapes. Best for using in pesto in place of basil. I tried chopping them and it was a bit difficult as they are woody.

[Jenise]

Karen, I have blanched scapes and marinated them in oil and vinegar--great finger food.

How do you serve them in the end? I was thinking of marinating in olive oil would be a bit messy for finger food.

[Jenise]

Well, doesn't take much oil. Just a little--it tenderizes them. IIRC, last time I used sesame oil, so there was a flavor advantage too. I cut them into pencil lengths, too, to keep them from being too whippy.