Garlic Scapes, Green Peppers, & Chicken Stir-Fry

This is what I ate last night and it was delicious! So this is not so much a recipe as a recommendation: 1. Find Garlic Scapes (aka garlic stems) 2. wash and cut the into 1-1 1/2 inch pieces 3. stir fry them in something. I love 'em. A note on preparation: It is my impression that you only eat from the widest round end to the little nub. Above the nub, the shoot narrows and is less firm. I've never eaten that part, but that doesn't necessarily mean you can't, I just don't know.

What? You've never heard of garlic scapes? That's not surprising. I didn't discover them until just a few weeks before leaving China (after living there for 2 years), but when I did it was love at first bite. They are little green shoots that grow out of garlic bulbs and are often removed to encourage growth in the bulb. They are only good while they are green, left to grow to long they turn white and too my knowledge are no longer used in cooking. If you ask the produce person at your local grocery store and they look at you like you are crazy- I can empathize. Been there, done that. Not the you-might-be-crazy-but-let-me-ask-someone-else, the flat out you-have-made-this-up look. However, farmer's markets to the rescue! In both IN and NC I have found garlic scapes at the farmer's market. They do have a limited season, but ask around at a farmer's market (especially the veggie people) and someone should be able to help you out.

So last night I heated up some oil (olive oil, but I wanted sesame. It, too, got lost in the pantry) and cooked my thinly sliced chicken breast just to done, then set it aside. In that already hot pan I added a touch more oil and chopped green pepper and garlic scapes (washed and cut to about 1-1 1/2 inch pieces). I let them sizzle for a couple minutes, then added a little white wine vinegar, put the lid on top, and let the sizzling and steaming commence. Before all the liquid cooked out I added a little soy sauce and my favorite Chinese flavored stir fry sauce- Sichuan. Now I say Chinese flavored stir fry sauce because I think this is how grocery stores in America think of them, so if you look in the international isle, you should have some stir fry sauce options (sweet & sour, Sichuan or spicy or red pepper or just plain hot!, kung pao, etc.). I learned to eat veggies while living in China and the spicier they were, the better. If you're not so into the burning lips and runny nose, try another flavor or go with just the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Remember with any of those sauces that it is easier to add more than to "fix it" if the dish gets too sweet or too anything you don't like. I served this with quinoa because I had a low protein day, but rice would have been great too.

Stir fries are a great way to experiment in the kitchen!