Grilled Garlic Scapes with Asparagus and Shishito Peppers

Your life is unfolding naturally.
Leave it be! It does not need any help. ~Mooji~

I once asked a farmer his favorite way to eat garlic scapes, and without hesitation, he said grilled. So home I came with my garlic scapes and fired up the grill, testing them on Brian.  He loved them.  Since then there have been several variations but this seems to be where we’ve landed lately. Grilled Garlic Scapes with asparagus and shishito peppers, all tossed together in a quick sesame marinade before going on the grill. A simple, healthy vegan side dish that pairs well with tofu, fish or meat.

Garlic scapes, if unfamiliar are the flowering stalks of  garlic bulbs that come to market in late spring and early summer. Growers will often harvest the stalks which helps direct the plant’s energy go down into its bulb. Raw, the stalks taste pungent and garlicky- great for dressings marinades, pesto and th like. But when cooked, the stalks become very mild and sweet. An easy way to incorporate them into everyday cooking is to add them to scrambled eggs or stir-fries, or quickly toss them on the grill like we do here. For another tasty recipe try this Grilled Naan with Garlic Scape Chutney.

Shishito peppers are small, mild and sweet Japanese peppers that are picked when they are still green. They are generally very mild, but occasionally you’ll get a hot one- which is actually kind of fun. Padrone peppers, a similar Spanish variety can be used here interchangeably.

Be sure to trim the flower end of the garlic scapes which get tough and stringy when grilled. Like asparagus, the thicker ends may be tough too, so trim where they naturally want to break, when bent.

Place them all in a bowl and add sesame oil, soy ( or GF Braggs), rice wine vinegar, mirin and garlic. Give a toss and grill over medium heat.

Pencil thin to Sharpie thin asparagus works well here, cooking about the same time as the garlic scapes and shishito peppers- any thicker and you may need to take the peppers and scales off first and let the asparagus cook a few minutes longer.

The leftover marinade in the bowl can be tossed with tofu or meat. I like to add sriracha, or garlic chili sauce as well.

Toss well and grill alongside the veggies.

A simple meal for two.

A quick and easy weeknight meal, perfect for summer.

Grilled Garlic Scapes, Asparagus and Shishito Peppers

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Grilled Garlic Scapes, Asparagus and Shishito Peppers with Sesame – a vegan, gluten-free adaptable side dish, perfect for summer!

• Author: Sylvia Fountaine
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 10
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 2-3 1x
• Category: sidedish
• Method: Grilled
• Cuisine: Northwest

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 small bunch asparagus ( 1 lb) Pencil thin- see notes.
• 8– 10 garlic scapes, trimmed ( see photo above)
• handful shishito peppers ( 6-8)
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, shoyu, or GF Braggs Liquid Aminos
• 2 garlic cloves- finely minced
• 8 ounces tofu filets ( optional, or use fish or chicken)
• sriracha sauce or chili garlic paste ( sambal olek) – optional

Instructions

Pre heat grill to medium high.

Trim aspargus and garlic scapes and place in large bowl along with the whole shishito peppers. Add the sesame oil, vinegar, mirin, soy and garlic. Toss well.

Place all on the hot grill, turning heat down to medium, turning them after a few minutes, covering for a couple minutes, then rotating them again to get all just lightly charred.  This will take about 6-7 minutes.

Feel free to toss tofu ( or fish or chicken) in the leftover marinade in the bowl. Add sriracha if you like for an added burst of flavor and heat. Grill along side the veggies, or set veggies aside if they are done. Tofu will only take a few minutes if grilling time on each side.

Divide among two plates with optional garlic chili sauce on the side.

 

Notes

Thinner asparagus works best here since it will grill faster, about the same time as the peppers and scapes. If using thick asparagus, you will most likely need to pull the scapes and peppers off the grill earlier so they don’t burn. Garlic scapes can be found at most farmers markets right now. Shishito peppers can be found at upscale grocery stores, or Trader Joes.