Pesto Presto

I have garlic breath.

Some might consider this a bit of a problem; I'm OK with it. Don't worry—I'm at home on my couch far away from crowds. Yes, I'll brush my teeth later, but right now, I can't get enough of the pesto I made the other day using garlic scapes.

This weekend, I experimented with the short-lived delicacy for the first time. If you're unfamiliar, garlic scapes are the curly tendrils that grow above ground as the bulb is forming underneath. The season is brief, so I suggest getting your hands on them as soon as you can.

To truly capture their flavor, I decided on a quick pesto.

Garlic Scape Pesto

8-10 garlic scapes, roughly chopped

1/2 cup basil, packed

1/3 cup walnuts, toasted

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place scapes, basil, walnuts and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until well combined. Slowly drizzle in oil and process again until well combined. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

I used a good portion of the garlic-y, green goodness for dinner the first night, combining it with freshly cooked fava beans, chopped toasted walnuts and kamut. I topped the dish with a fried egg (there's something amazing about pesto and a runny egg—well, pretty much anything a runny egg). I've been using the leftover pesto to spread on whole-grain crackers.

There's only a handful of scapes remaining in my fridge. The plan is to quickly sauté them and toss them on pizza with some fresh mozzarella and olive oil.

Guess I'll be scraping by on scapes until next weekend—that is, if the farmers' market still has them around.

Grain of Knowledge

The results are in.

Last week, I had the honor of traveling to Wichita, Kan., to judge the 2011 Festival of Breads. The panel (which comprised me, a bread instructor and a bakery owner) declared Gale Collier of Redmond, Ore., the winner. Her recipe for Quick Raisin Granola Breakfast Rolls won our vote for overall appearance, ease of preparation, originality and, of course, taste.

That's not to say the other eight finalists—narrowed down from a pool of 500-plus amateur bakers' entries—didn't have amazing recipes. Really, it came down to the performance of the baker that day. Anyone could have come out ahead.

Sponsored by the Kansas Wheat Commission, King Arthur Flour and Fleischmann's Yeast, the competition was part of a day-long celebration of bread. The festival featured a booth selling fresh-baked goods; proceeds went to Share Our Strength's Great American Bake Sale to help end childhood hunger.

Prior to the competition, I was able to tour a working wheat farm, grain elevator and flour mill to see how the product finds its way to my kitchen table. The Midwesterner in me loved every minute of it—especially the combine ride! I'm always fascinated by the origin of food; I truly believe it makes me grow as a cook.

One of my goals this year is to expand my bread-making knowledge. Thank you, Wichita, for helping me get a few giant steps closer.

Grate Escape

There are a million things I love about living in New York—and there are a handful of things that drive me crazy.

Living without a grill is one of the latter.

Unfortunately, I'm not part of the lucky few that has a shared courtyard or—better yet—an actual yard. Instead, I rely on a grill pan that isn't even close to delivering the flavor of seasoned grates. Usually I hit up restaurants for my barbecue fix.

This weekend, though, things were different. Ryan and I headed to Nashville, Tenn., to visit his sister and her husband, who are fortunate grill owners. I was more than happy to replace an evening of restaurant-hopping with a cookout. We made Whole Foods our destination and picked up some supplies.

I settled on a bourbon-molasses sauce and built a menu around it. Judging from the near-empty drumstick platter and the crimson crime scene-esque sauce streaks on everyone's faces, I'd say I made the right decision.

Bourbon-Molasses Chicken Drumsticks (Courtesy of Bon Appetit via Epicurious.com)

Yield: 4 servings

Sauce

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 cup minced onion

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup molasses

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons yellow mustard (I used Dijon)

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup bourbon

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

12 chicken drumsticks

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; saute until soft, about 6 minutes. Add next five ingredients as well as 1/4 teaspoon pepper and chili powder. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in bourbon; cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt. (This can be made one day ahead. Cover and chill in refrigerator.)

2. Mix salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper in bowl. Loosen skin on drumsticks. Rub salt and pepper under skin without tearing it. Cover; let stand at room temperature about 30 minutes.

3. Heat grill on medium. Grill drumsticks until skin is crisp and juices run clear, turning to cook on all sides, about 25 minutes. Transfer 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl; reserve. Brush drumsticks with remaining sauce and cook until glaze forms, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer drumsticks to platter and serve with reserved sauce.

I served the chicken with baked sharp cheddar grits, a fresh pea and lettuce saute, and (non-homemade) sea salt caramel gelato. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!