The Great eSCAPE

I'm not one to pick favorites (though I did find myself trying to rank berries the other day - blueberries reign supreme at the moment, if we're talking strictly domesticated berries - throw in the wild berries around here, and it's a whole different ballgame).   ANYWAY ...  I think pickled garlic scapes are my favorite canned good.  Scapes are the curly-q flower stalk the garlic plant sends up shortly before the bulb is ready to harvest.  They are so tender and mild, but still have a good garlicky kick.  Add a cayenne pepper for spice and some dill seed (or weed) for that pickle-y taste, and you've got a cure for the winter doldrums. 

After a canning session last night, our cupboards will be stocked with 12 more jars of pickled scapes, and yes - we're willing to share.  But if you find yourself in the lucky position of having an overwhelming excess of scapes, try out the recipe here from a blog called The Deliberate Agrarian.  Enjoy!