By next week, ramps season will be gone until next spring. Get them while you can.
Fiddlehead ferns run for about two weeks in most locales. The season usually begins in early April in the South until mid to late July in Canada. Some people think they taste like pond scum. For me, however, they remind me of asparagus. They have a delicateness that’s accentuated when briefly sautéed in butter.
Wild asparagus and ramps frittatta, fiddlehead ferns sautéed in butter
Spring garden salad
Roasted fingerling potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes, with fiddlehead ferns, wild asparagus, ramps, nasturtium flowers and a poached egg
You can leave out the root vegetables if you prefer. I had a bunch of vegetables in the crisper from a few weeks ago that needed to be used. What better than a salad for brunch?
fingerling potatoes (1)
Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and sliced on a bias
olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
freshly milled black pepper, to taste
unsalted butter
8 stalks wild asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2″ lengths (2)
1 bunch ramps, trimmed and sliced (separate stalks and leaves)
fiddlehead ferns, cleaned
1 egg, poached
nasturtium flowers
fresh thyme, chopped
onion chives, minced
Combine fingerlings and Jerusalem artichokes in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and drizzle 2 T. olive oil. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes at 350 F or until vegetables are golden brown. Stir in a handful of thyme and chives. Set aside.
Boil fiddlehead ferns in 2 cups salted water for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain. Immediately shock the ferns in ice water to halt the cooking process. Set aside.
Melt 1 T. unsalted butter in a large skillet. Add ramp stalks and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes over low heat or until stalks take on a bit of color. Add asparagus, ramp leaves and fiddlehead ferns. Sauté for 5 to 8 more minutes, stirring frequently. You can add an additional 1 T. unsalted butter if you wish, for additional richness. Check seasoning.
To assemble: Spoon potatoes onto a salad plate or wide-rimmed soup bowl. Place 2 generous tablespoons of the vegetables amidst the potatoes. Nestle a poached egg atop everything. Sprinkle with chopped herbs, salt and pepper. Garnish with a nasturtium flower, and serve immediately.
(1) — Normally I leave the fingerlings unpeeled but if you have time, peeling them makes for a more aesthetic presentation.
(2) — These are sweeter and milder than regular asparagus. In addition, the stalks are thinner and thus require shorter cooking times. Substitute regular asparagus if unavailable.
Roast cod, sautéed shiitake mushrooms and ramps, pan-fried potatoes
Remember when I said that potatoes are one of the best vegetables invented? This is one reason why. 4 Bintje potatoes, peeled, sliced and fried with a bit of red onion in lots of unsalted butter. Salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes to finish.
The mushrooms/ramps were sautéed in unsalted butter and deglazed in some white wine. Recall the adage — if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it. Added a scant pinch of salt and some pepper towards the end.
Simple and delicious. Best of all, this took 30 minutes including prep time.
Thanks to everyone who commented below. I really appreciate the support.
Pasta with ramps “pesto” and fresh peas
The past few days have been raining cats and dogs. I needed something bright to chase the gray away.
3/4 cup cleaned ramp leaves, packed
kosher salt
extra-virgin olive oil
juice of half a lemon
lemon zest
Pulse ramp leaves in a blender or food processor until finely chopped. Add a pinch of salt. Pour olive oil in a thin and steady stream until the desired consistency is reached. I like my pesto less “paste”-like. Check seasoning. At this point, you can add some lemon juice or chopped lemon zest to brighten the flavor, if you like. Check seasoning. Use immediately or reserve as needed.
If you wanted to make this a traditional pesto, you can use pignoli. Almonds or chopped walnuts are good substitutes. The sauce really doesn’t need much else.
That pasta is just cooked rotini tossed with the ramps “pesto”, fresh peas, minced onion chives and some grated Parmesan.
Pesto — it’s not just for basil anymore.
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