So before I share this recipe, which I found literally years ago, I need to tell you where I’m sitting. Well it’s not actually the where that matters, and it’s not the view either, oddly enough. It’s the smell. OMG!

Like many of my stories having to do with food, this one starts with my dad, Chef Ira. Pretty much anyone who knew him could tell you that Chef Ira was in the habit of buying enormous quantities of supplies for the farm. The grandchildren took particular delight in this habit of his; my mother not so much. But be they foodstuffs, baked goods (I’m looking at you Marie, Amy, Jimmy, and everybody my dad loved at the Italian Bakery in Flemington, NJ!), meats, paper goods, party supplies, kitchen appliances (think: apple spiralizer), or feed for the animals, he liked it big and he liked plenty of it.

The other thing you need to know about my dad was that we didn’t always have the opportunity to use up his supplies before they went bad. Did you know that diet soda has a shelf life? Well, yes, it does. The artificial sweetener and “flavor” disintegrate and all that’s left is something like half-carbonated watery liquid. Not so great. But I digress.

I’m talking about shelf life and my dad’s propensity to purchase items in large quantities, which is how I came to find half a dozen restaurant-sized cans (105 oz.) of pureed tomatoes on the shelves in his garage after he passed away. It seemed a shame to get rid of them, but then again it’s a little concerning when the sell-by date was a few years back. So I asked the opinion of a few people, including my friend Marilee who happened to be in town for a visit. There are some things I would pitch immediately, but tomatoes are acidic and acid is a natural food preservative.

Marilee said it would be fine, and I believed her. She even took home one of the cans, which was all I needed to know, really. Then she shared with me the following method for cooking chicken. Her own dad used to make chicken cacciatore like this, and i cannot recommend it highly enough. That is what I am smelling at this very moment, and it is going to be absolutely “scrumptious,” which was my dad’s favorite word for food with remarkable flavor.

I do not actually have a proper recipe, but this is what Marilee said to do: Cut up or purchase a chicken in parts. Layer all the parts into a dutch oven or covered dish with the breasts last (on top), skin side up. Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 large can (29 oz.) of crushed tomatoes, and 1/4 bottle of red wine. Add a full tomato can’s worth of water, and cover the dish. Cook at 250F for 6 to 8 hours “until the meat is literally melting off the bones (Marilee’s exact words).” Check every 2-3 hours to make sure there is at least 2 inches of water in the bottom of the pot. Uncover the pot for the last 30 minutes to enhance caramelization. Allow to rest 10-15 minutes prior to serving. I can’t wait for dinner tonight! Chicken cacciatore, salad, homemade bread, and fruit for dessert.

Now, besides all this, I did promise you a proper recipe, and given that it is currently the season for garlic scapes, here it is. I’ve had this recipe for almost 5 years but I waited until I had a perfect time to share it. Start with mashed garlic scapes, which you can achieve with a food processor or a heavy brass mortar and pestle like the one my mother inherited from my Grandpa Sandy, who used it in his pharmacy in Boro Park in the earlier part of the twentieth century.

1 cup garlic scapes (mashed)
1/2 cup pistachios, pine nuts OR walnuts (or a combination)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp. salt (reduce to 1/2 tsp. if using salted nuts)
1/2 cup olive oil (EVOO)

Process the first four ingredients until chopped finely, scraping down the sides of the food processor periodically to incorporate all the ingredients. With the food processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil, and process until smooth. Pour it over anything you like, including couscous, steamed broccoli, warm beans, fettucine, grilled fish or chicken. Bon appetit!