normally, i'm not one to go for the funky at the farmer's market.  kohlrabi?  not so much.  kale?  tame to the rest of the world, but only just entering my regular vegetable rotation.

this is what i buy.

oh, wait.  this is a food post. but, i mean . . . how gorg are these flowers!  there is one stand at my farmers market that makes the most beautiful bouquets.  they totally get my color palette.

anyway, back to business.  check these out.

funky little wax beans.  they go great with these:

i did not grow these.  my cherry tomato plant thus far is barren.  i blame the home depot.  that is another story. 

also, do you use a tomato knife?  my husband, aka the sommelier, aka my knife enabler, bought one for me.  it works really well.  plus it's red!  and it has a nifty sheath.  which is a great word.  sheath.

green beans (or squiggly little yellow wax beans) + cherry tomatoes + feta + vinaigrette = one of my favorite parts of summer.

but, garlic scapes.  many lovely bloggers i drool over have been all over making scape pesto.  and isn't pesto just like vinaigrette on steroids?

plus, how cool are scapes? 

did you know they are the top bits of garlic? 

i threw about a cup of scape, cut into 2 inch segments, into the food processor.  with about a third of a cup of walnuts.

add lots of parmesan.  maybe a 1/3 cup olive oil.  most recipes i saw call for a lot more olive oil.  but i live with a health nut.  i didn't tell him about the parmesan.  instead, i subbed in juice of one lemon.

action shot!

plus salt and pepper.  and, i would recommend some basil.  the scape needs some help mellowing out.  i ended up adding a splash of cream (REALLY don't tell the health nut husband).  and more parmesan. 

toss the pesto with blanched beans and halved cherry tomatoes.  couldn't be simpler. 

yummy!

and, possibly even better the next day.  or, you know, three days later tossed with mesculen for lunch at work.  that's how i roll.

plus, there was extra pesto.  so i rubbed it all over a chicken. i got it up under the skin.  then i roasted it.

hello, lover.

but, isn't there something slightly inappropriate looking about a roast chicken?  or at least, this roast chicken.  it looks like it needs to be trussed.  but i am too lazy to truss. i had a cooking instructor once sit a chicken up and made it dance and wave to us.  it was a little disturbing.  not to mention that we followed that the "meet your chicken" moment was followed by a "debone your chicken" moment. 

moral of the story?  don't get too attached.  chicken is just too yummy.  especially when infused with garlicy pestoy goodness. 

Garlic Scape Pesto

• 1 cup scapes, chopped into 2 inch pieces
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 to 3/4 cup olive oil, to taste
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4+ cup shredded parmesan
• salt and pepper
• splash cream, optional
• 1/2 cup basil

In a food processor, grind scapes, walnuts and basil (if using).  Add olive oil and lemon juice until creamy.   Transfer to bowl.  Stir in parmesan and salt and petter.  Taste.  If garlic overwhelms your senses and you love it, you're done.  If garlic overwhelms your senses and you chug a diet coke, add cream until you can deal.