Garlic Scape & Lemon Balm Pesto

If your garlic plants look like they’ve bolted and your garden is bursting with lemon balm, try this tasty pesto as an alternative to the heavier basil, parmesan and pine nut variety.

Print Recipe
 Garlic Scape & Lemon Balm Pesto
Course Main Course, Pastes & Sauces
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings
meals
Ingredients
  • 10-12 garlic scapes Mine were a little woody so I found the point where they snapped off easily and cut them from there, discarding the harder parts.
  • 2 handfuls fresh lemon balm Not very scientific, sorry!
  • 1 cup sunflower seeds
  • oil to taste. I used sunflower because I didn’t want to drown out the lemonbalm with olive oil. I would say use whatever oil you prefer.
  • 1 pinch salt
  • cheese (grated) to serve
Course Main Course, Pastes & Sauces
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings
meals
Ingredients
  • 10-12 garlic scapes Mine were a little woody so I found the point where they snapped off easily and cut them from there, discarding the harder parts.
  • 2 handfuls fresh lemon balm Not very scientific, sorry!
  • 1 cup sunflower seeds
  • oil to taste. I used sunflower because I didn’t want to drown out the lemonbalm with olive oil. I would say use whatever oil you prefer.
  • 1 pinch salt
  • cheese (grated) to serve
Instructions
  1. Chop the garlic scapes into small pieces and add them to a food processor along with the lemon balm (or blender, if you have one.) Whizz it all up until it’s finely chopped.
  2. Warm the sunflower seeds in a pan to release the oils then, when they start to smell but before they start to brown, add them to the mixer and whizz.
  3. Add oil, as necessary, to bind the contents of the food processor into a paste.
Recipe Notes

And that’s it! Serve with pasta and cheese, or use it however you like! The only downside of this recipe – unless you have a very diverse food market near you – is that you will probably have to wait until next year to make it again. Oh well.