Market Farming

[Alliums <garlicgrower AT earthlink.net>]

Jim wrote:


> What are the scapes used for?  I would assume in salads or pickeled like
> capers. Or is that what capers are?

No, they are too big for capers.  Capers come from a lovely plant from 
Spain -- some have nasty thorns, but they all have beautiful flowers that 
look like white/purple butterflies.  They will probably grow great in Texas 
-- if you have a chance, get some plants -- the flowers are so beautiful 
you'll not want to harvest the unopened buds to make capers.

Scapes are sauted in veggie dishes.  They are cooked and used in Asian 
cooking quite often, but they are hard to find in the US, so you don't see 
them used in many Korean/Chinese/Indian restaurants. You can also make a 
nice pesto with them or pickles.


> If you wait too long the husk will have deteriorated and lets the cloves sort
> of fall off.  My wife who uses lots of garlic always complains about what I
> gather being bitter.  Thought maybe it was because not gathering at right
> time.

> I have never gathered it when the husk is the pretty clean white like
> what you buy in the grocery.

That's when you need to harvest them.  They store a whole lot better and 
they taste pretty good then, too.


> > Someone tell me again why I'm living in PA! ;-<
> Its cooler and you have more rain.  We finally got the best rain of the year
> last nite averaging close to 3 inches.

Good heavens -- we've been getting some rain every day, but it all adds up 
to about an inch and a half over the WEEK!  And it's definitely cool -- it 
hasn't broken the 50s for days, but I'm planting my eggplant tomorrow 
*regardless* -- I'm tired of staring at the seedlings and I need the space 
for the melons that are germinating.

BTW, I've started putting melons and squash transplants (grown in large 
newspaper pots) in the spaces that I harvest garlic out of in 
June/July.  They seem to like the extra nitrogen topped with straw mulch in 
my garlic beds and they seem to shade out any late summer fall weeds that 
grew in the patch after I'd harvested all the garlic.


Dorene Pasekoff, Coordinator
St. John's United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden

A mission of
St. John's United Church of Christ, 315 Gay Street, Phoenixville, PA  19460