I'm looking for advice on how to prepare these wild ramps that I added to my CSA box this week. I've never prepared them before, or eaten them before for that matter. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.I couldn't resist ordering rhubarb again, but I don't want to make another crisp. Maybe I'll try to make rhubarb chutney (I got the idea from Edible Chesapeake article on Virginia Chutney, see page 9). I'll need to find a recipe, but my main question is: how would you serve rhubarb chutney?
Yum, rhubarb chutney would be good on almost any sort of poultry (chicken, turkey, duck, cornish game hen, why I could go on and on) and I'll bet it'd be especially delightful with a pork roast, for those who still eat pork. :-) I don't have a recipe handy, but if you find one that calls for dried fruit, I'll bet it'd be good using dried cherries....
ReplyDeleteThanks for setting up this forum! Take care, Ruth (from the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood of DC :)
strawberry rhubarb pie! or strawberry rhubarb jam! the chutney would be really good on pork chops
ReplyDeleteThe NY Times has a number of pieces on ramps...Mark Bittman, I believe. Bittman's blog also has some recipes. Here's the link: http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/29/ramping-up-for-spring/
ReplyDeleteLet me know how it goes. I've never had ramps before and I'm interested in trying.
Thanks for the advice!
ReplyDeleteRamps update: I cooked the ramps last night using one of the ideas from the link Karen posted, sauteing them with mushrooms and bacon. I used the crimini mushrooms from my box, added broth and white beans, and ended up with a tasty soup! Also on the menu: CSA radishes, sliced on buttered french bread, sprinkle of salt, yummy.
I've been ordering 4 bunches of ramps every week and always make Mario Batali's spaghetti with ramps, which my kids adore (my 6 year old brings the leftovers for lunch). To make, while the water for your 1 lb of spaghetti boils, coarsely chop the white parts and stalks of the ramps, cut the leaves in 1 inch pieces. In a skillet, saute the white parts and stalks of the ramps in about 3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. When onions are translucent, stir in the ramp greens until wilted. Turn off heat and leave pan on stove. Cook spaghetti till al dente in salted water, when pasta's done, drain and reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Turn on the stove to high heat under the pan with ramps and toss the pasta and reserved water together with the onion mixture. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, serve with grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese. We also serve it with fried bread crumbs (shred up some artisanal bread without crusts and fry in olive oil till golden brown). You can also make this recipe with garlic scallions, regular scallions, those red onions with greens, kale (you need to sauge in garlic), etc.
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