Recipes, produce information and forum for Zoe's Garden Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) members. Zoe's Garden offers CSA subscriptions in the Park City, Heber, Salt Lake, Ogden & Lindon areas. Our purpose is to provide the freshest naturally grown produce possible by delivering it to our local members within a day of picking.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Recipes: Onion Scape

This one is from member: Alisa.  Thanks Alisa.
"I found this recipe using onion scapes and will give it try:"
8 chicken thighs, preferaby organic. (You can use 4 leg quarters and divide them into thighs and drumsticks.)
4 cloves garlic.
2 preserved lemons
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil
15-20 scapes, depending on size.

Use garlic, onion, or a mixture. Clean and cut into 1″ lengths.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Chop the garlic cloves. remove the pulp from the preserved lemons, rinse the rind, and chop it into pieces about the size of matchheads. Make a paste of the garlic, salt, and preserved lemon rind and rub it into the chicken.

In a 9X13″ roasting pan, toss the scapes with the olive oil, and set the seasoning-rubbed chicken thighs on top in a single layer and ad half a cup of water to the pan. Roast at 400 degrees until the thighs are cooked and beautifully bronzed on top, usually about 40 minutes. Test the chicken for doneness.

Serve with plain cooked bulgur, putting a thigh or two and a spoonful of scapes and juices on top of each serving of bulgur. Very easy and delicious, and healthy too. You can use rice, but a nutty grain (such as bulgar) tastes better with the preserved lemons.

4 comments:

  1. I saw this recipe online as well, please let us know how it is.

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  2. Hi C and Mc.

    I wrote Alisa to let her know you commented on her comment - so she can answer your questions. Thanks!

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  3. Here is a recipe that I tried and loved, I found the scapes to be much less intense than if you used an onion and they gave a delicious crunch:
    Lemon Grass Chicken with caramelized Onion Scapes

    2 chicken breasts (bones and skin removed), cut into one inch cubes
    2 tbs vegetable oil (any neutral oil will do)
    2 tbs granulated sugar (I prefer raw cane sugar or brown sugar)
    5 tbs fish sauce (the more the better! 3 Crab Fish Sauce is an excellent milder brand if you can find it)
    2 large Onion Scapes, chopped into 1/4 inch rings.
    1 stalk of lemongrass, cut chopped finely (discard tough woody top half of the stalk)
    3 Thai chile peppers or 1 jalepeno to taste
    1 tbs turmeric or Vietnamese curry powder
    3 tbs of crushed black peppercorns
    1 scallion or garnish
    preparation

    In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken with the fish sauce, black pepper, and 1 tbs of the sugar.
    In small pot over medium-low heat, add 2 tbs of vegetable oil and the remaining 1 tbs of sugar. Once the mixture has become dark and thick about 1 minute, add the onion scapes and stir for about 20 seconds to caramelize the scapes. Remove and set aside.
    Heat a wok (or skillet) over medium-high heat and add the chicken. Now, add the mixture from the small pot (caramelized onion scapes) and stir fry.
    After stir frying for about 4 minutes add the lemon grass, chile peppers, and turmeric. Stir fry until the chicken is fully cooked (chicken should be browned yet tender and juicy on the inside).
    Garnish with chopped scallion and serve with steamed rice.

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  4. Well, I tried the "roasted chicken" recipe with a few minor alterations. (I didn't have "preserved" lemons, for example, so I used fresh.) Overall, the aroma that filled our kitchen was lovely and the chicken turned out flavorful and moist. It was nice to be able to use the young garlic from this week's share in this recipe. It was fantastic!

    I've determined however, that I simply don't like scapes. Their immediate flavor was lovely, but they leave a bitter aftertaste that is difficult to lose. My family tried to "choke them down" for my benefit, but none of them liked the "scape element" either. I have to say, this part of the produce selection is a waste of time and money. I wish they would replace the scapes with something a little more useable.

    Thanks for your interest, "C and Mc".

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