Before and After

Snipped and washed scapes ready for the mason jar

Little did I know that when I turned fifty I would become a lover of the scape–or the leafless stem of a single flower or inflorescence. Little did I know that rows and rows of curling green garlic scapes would occupy about a week of every year as the garlic begins to imagine more than itself and we arrive with a sharp knife or scissors or, if at just the right time, a firm pull. Little did I know, finally, that if you lop off the scape the plant will funnel its energies into the bulb as we head off to the kitchen to quick fry or bake the scapes and pickel the rest for December or January dinners.

Cooling jars after a hot summer bath

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