This year, for the first time, I noticed vendors at the local farmers market selling garlic scapes. Garlic scapes are the greens that shoot off the top of a variety of garlic.  They have a milder, garlicky flavor.  They are long, green, and have a bulbous head at the top.  I had heard of scapes, but never used them and as I am intrigued by anything garlic related, I bought a bunch.  With my first purchase, I made a pesto – just puréed scapes with olive oil, lemon juice and parmesan cheese (I just Googled a recipe).  I used it on pasta, on a pizza and on some toasted bread with a fried egg on top and it was delicious.  I picked up the next round intending to do the same thing, put holding those scapes, feeling the woody ends and craving Asian food, I figured maybe I could whip up something special and unique.  And I must say I was inordinately pleased with myself.

Garlic Scape Beef Satay Skewers

You could easily use chicken with these skewers, but the cooking time will obviously be shorter.

1 bunch garlic scapes (about 6 scapes)

½ inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled

Juice of one lime

Handful of cilantro leaves

About 10 mint leaves

A few Thai basil leaves (optional)

¼ cup soy sauce

3 Tablespoons sesame oil

1 pound beef round, cut into equal-sized chunks

Make scape skewers by cutting the woody ends off of six scapes.  Cut the ends into sharp points. Set aside.

Cut three of the scape top pieces (about 8 inches) and the ginger into small pieces and drop in a blender. Add the lime juice, cilantro, mint and basil leaves and the soy sauce.  Blend until a paste forms – the scapes are woody, so this takes a little work and scraping down of the sides of the blender.  With the blender running, drizzle in the sesame oil and blend until smooth.  Pour the marinade into a ziptop bag and add the beef cubes.  Seal the bag and shake everything around to coat the beef.  Refrigerate for several hours, turning once or twice.

When ready to cook, heat the grill or a grill pan to high heat.  Thread the beef onto the scape skewers.  If needed, you can cut a small slit in each beef chunk to slide the skewer through.  Grill the skewers until the beef is cooked through, about 10 minutes

Garlic Scape Satay Sauce

3  (8-inch pieces) of garlic scape

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup coconut milk

3 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Cut the scapes into small pieces and add to the blender with all the ingredients.  Blend until smooth.  Serve with Garlic Scape Beef Satay Skewers.

 Makes 6 skewers

Soup seems to be a universal comfort food. The French have their onion soup, the Italians minestrone, and Moroccans love harira.  For me, to be honest, tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich are the most comforting combination on earth. And Vietnamese pho is certainly part of this long list.

My parents are big fans of a Vietnamese restaurant near the neighborhood, but I never ventured much onto the unfamiliar side of the menu.  On my first visit, I ordered some cashew chicken bowl, and then came out my parents’ pho.  Big, steaming bowls of noodles and meat in a steaming, aromatic broth, delivered with a big side plate of fresh, green herbs. I was not willing to admit that I had ordered poorly, so I stuck up my nose at the pho.

Not long after that, I had one of the best bowls of soup I have ever experienced.  At a market in Cambodia, I marveled at a bowl of beef noodle soup that smelled so fantastically delicious, it absolutely enveloped me, even overpowering the smells of the market around me. The broth was so fragrant with chunks of beef and a nice slick of grease on the top that coated the noodles as I plucked them out.  I have never forgotten that soup, and know I will never truly recreate that moment.

So now when I go to the Vietnamese place, I order pho.  Different types, depending on my mood.  I don’t know what the Cambodian equivalent of pho is, but I have attempted to create my own equivalent.  I know it’s a simple version.  I don’t simmer bones to make my own stock or use any overly exotic ingredients – I’ll leave that to the restaurant chefs.  But this is warming, comforting and kind in its own way. This soup is easy to make, but impressive to serve.

Simple Beef Pho

The plate of fresh herbs presented along with the steaming soup make this a real treat.

4 cups low sodium beef broth

2 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

3 cloves garlic

1 shallot, peeled and cut into chunks

1 Tablespoon sugar

3 Tablespoons fish sauce

8 ounces rice stick noodles

6 ounces top sirloin steak

To serve:

Cilantro

Mint

Basil

Pour the broth into a large saucepan and add the spices, shallot, garlic, sugar and fish sauce.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes.

While the broth is infusing, soak the rice noodles according to the package instructions.  Drain and rinse with cold water.

Slice the beef as thinly as possible.  It is easiest to do this with cold beef and a very sharp knife.  Putting the beef in the freezer for 15 minutes before slicing will also help.

When the broth has infused, drain through a sieve, discarding the solids.  Wipe out the saucepan and return the broth to it.  Place the noodles in a large serving bowl or in individual bowls. Bring the broth to a boil and drop in the beef slices.  Cook for just a minute, maybe two, until the beef is just warmed through.  Immediately transfer the beef slices to the noodle bowl, then ladle the broth over.

Serve the pho with leaves of cilantro, mint and basil to be sprinkled on top.

Serves 2