Garlic Scape Pesto and Sauteed Kohlrabi

Last night for dinner, I made pasta with Garlic Scape Pesto, and Sauteed Kohlrabi.

The garlic scape pesto was very tasty! It took a few bites for me to get into it, because at first all I could taste was the crisp "grassy-ness" of it. [I know, grassy-ness isn't a word, but it's the only word I can think of to describe the very leafy, natural taste of certain things, especially veggies.] After a few bites, I noticed the mild garlicky flavors, along with the familiar taste of parmesan cheese. It's something I will definitely be making again. The sauteed kohlrabi was fantastic! I had never had kohlrabi before, and I was a bit nervous about trying it. As I was chopping the kohlrabi, I nervously tried a bite of it raw, and I realized I had nothing to worry about. I was naively expecting to taste the bite of a radish, but it was nothing like that (thankfully!). It tastes like very mild and sweet broccoli. After sauteing it in butter and oil and seasoning it with a bit of garlic sea salt, it was even better. All in all, it was a good meal. I wish I would have thought to make a chicken breast or some other protein to go with the pasta though. Also, the meal seemed a bit oilier than I would have liked. The pesto does have olive oil, so naturally it has an oily feel to it. When I was sauteing the kohlrabi, I used more oil than the recipe called for, and I think that was a big factor in the oiliness of the meal. I would make both recipes again.

GARLIC SCAPE PESTO
10 garlic scapes, chopped
1/2 Cup fine grated parmesan
1/3 Cup slivered almonds (I lightly toasted mine)
pinch salt
1/2 Cup olive oil
Put scapes, almonds, parmesan, and oil into food processor and whir to chop and blend. Add more oil if needed to get desired texture. Season with salt.


SAUTEED KOHLRABI
1 Kohlrabi head
1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP butter
1/4 tsp salt
Peel kohlrabi and cut into 1/8" slices, then finely julienne. Put oil and butter into pan over medium heat. When butter has melted, put in kohlrabi. Stir and saute over med-low heat for 6-7 minutes until kohlrabi is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Optional: Add chopped garlic scapes and kohlrabi greens at the beginning of cooking. Top with parmesan cheese when serving.