Market Pick: GARLIC SCAPES

Long, green and mildly aromatic, garlic scapes -- sometimes referred to as green garlic or garlic curls -- are the flower stalks that grow from the hardneck garlic plant. With a crunchy, slightly juicy texture similar to that of spring onion tops, garlic scapes are wonderful added to stir-fries (treated as scallions), steamed as a vegetable or blended with oil, cheese and nuts for a punchy pesto. The scapes are usually removed from garlic plants to help the garlic bulbs grow.

On a garlicky-flavor scale, scapes deliver about a 3 out of a potent 10. Devotees wait for their short season to begin, but scapes can be hard to find. In our area, one reliable source is Potomac Vegetable Farms, based in Vienna. Hiu and Hana Newcomb have been bringing scapes to market for 10 years now. Hana Newcomb has one piece of advice for customers looking for scapes: Hurry.

"The window is short. We only harvest for about three weeks," she says. They began bringing the scapes to market on Memorial Day weekend, so hit the markets this week for your best shot at this ephemeral green.

Store garlic scapes as you would scallions, wrapped in damp paper towels in the refrigerator.

Potomac Vegetable Farms sells at these farmers markets: Arlington at the Courthouse, Columbia Pike, Falls Church, Leesburg, Mount Vernon, Purcellville, Reston and Takoma Park.

-- Stephanie Witt Sedgwick