Garlic Scapes
One of the delicacies of the season, garlic scapes are a treat and a necessity. We need to pull these flower buds from the hardneck garlic so that their energy goes into making a head of garlic underground, instead of a flower top. In the process we get a tender garlic green with a beautiful white base, that shades to light green, and is topped by a long, pointy bud.

Its uses are many. Our annual treat is to make a pesto with it. It is also great chopped and added fresh to salads, as a garnish for soups, or as an addition to homemade salad dressing.

Fresh Strawberries with Homemade Yogurt
As homesteaders, we are always looking for ways to become more self-reliant, especially when it comes to our food. One way to do this is to become more and more proficient with food biology ie, fermentation. From bread making to wine making to kombucha, you can tap microorganisms to do your bidding.

One thing we’de been talking about doing for awhile is making yogurt. Lori heard us and bought us some yogurt starter the other day, and we are hooked. Now we can turn our local Shatto milk into a tangy and tart fresh yogurt. The yogurt is the perfect accompaniment to fresh strawberries (with a little mint for garnish). Our next project is labneh (yogurt cheese).

To make the yogurt take 1 quart of milk (you can use an old yogurt container to measure it into), and heat it in a saucepan to 180º F. Let it cool to about 110º F. Pour a small amount back into the yogurt container, add the starter culture, stir, and then add the remaining milk.

Stir again, cover, and place in your oven with the light on for 4 to 6 hours, or until yogurt is set and you can see liquid (whey) separating around the edges. Refrigerate to stop the fermentation and to cool.

Place 1 cup yogurt in a bowl, add 1 cup strawberries and top with chopped mint. You can also add granola, almond slices or other garnish.