Garlic Scape Pesto

Do you like garlic? Ok do you really, really love garlic? If so, you will love garlic scape pesto, which will help answer the question, "What the heck do I do with these garlic scapes that I got in my share this week?" I improvised on a recipe that I found online since I didn't have any almonds in the house and could only scrounge up a handful of walnuts. I decided to add a tablespoon of tahini to see if it added the nutty flavor I was missing, but it didn't seem to cut the garlic taste enough for the number of scapes that I used. Anyways, take this recipe and doctor it how you like!

GARLIC SCAPE AND ALMOND PESTO
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
2 bunches garlic scapes (about 15 or so), finely chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan (to taste and texture)
1/3 cup slivered almonds (you could toast them lightly, if you'd like) [my substitution was 1 handful of walnuts and 1 T. of tahini aka sesame paste]
About 1/2 cup olive oil
Sea salt
Lemon juice to taste (optional)

Put the scapes, 1/3 cup of the cheese, almonds and half the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor (or use a blender or a mortar and pestle). Whir to chop and blend all the ingredients and then add the remainder of the oil and, if you want, more cheese. If you like the texture, stop; if you'd like it a little thinner, add some more oil. Season with salt.

Serve over pasta. Reserve some of the pasta's cooking water (about 1/2 to 1 cup) to toss with the pesto and prepared pasta if the pesto is not liquid enough to coat the pasta evenly when you toss it together.

If you're not going to use the pesto immediately, press a piece of plastic against the surface to keep it from oxidizing. The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days or packed airtight and frozen for a couple of months, by which time tomatoes should be at their juciest.