When you grow garlic, you get a wonderful side product as well. Those are the garlic scapes that we have for sale at the stand right now. Garlic grows under the ground but during the spring sends up a shoot that is long and thin. After a bit it begins to curve and then straightens out again. Letting the shoot grow takes away nutrients from the garlic bulb so it is in our best interests to remove them. The best part about them is that they taste great and can be used in all kinds of dishes. The recipe I posted last week, our Chicken and Snow Pea skillet, uses them to flavor the dish. Their flavor is fresh and light and adds just the right touch of flavor to whatever you choose to use them in.

After washing the scapes, we like to chop them into 1" lengths, put them into a freezer bag and enjoy them during the winter. This is especially helpful when we run out of garlic mid winter since we live by the philosophy that you can never have enough garlic!

via

by way of

Strawberry Filling:

1 heaping cup sliced strawberries

1/3 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons water

Coffee cake dough:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 ounces sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

a few drops of almond extract (optional)

Topping:

3 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  

To make the topping: 

Combine all the topping ingredients in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until crumbly.  Set aside.  

To make the strawberry mixture:

Combine strawberries, 1/3 cup sugar, water and cornstarch in a small saucepan.  Cook over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened and strawberries are soft and somewhat broken down.  Set aside to cool.  

Grease and flour a 10x10 inch baking dish, knocking out excess flour, and set aside.  

To make the coffee cake:

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla extract, and almond extract if you're using it. 

Sift dry ingredients together.  Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter in 3 parts alternating with the sour cream in 2 parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Beat just until combined. 

Spoon 2/3 of the batter into the prepared pan.  Spread the cooled strawberry mixture over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter onto the strawberries and spread evenly.  Top with streusel topping and bake in the upper third of the oven.  Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

My notes: