Sweat, Soil, and Sunscreen

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”- Margaret Atwood

To me spring smells like sweat, soil, and sunscreen. If I’m lucky, some lingering hints of mint from when I passed out from exhaustion under a tree, or even better, the smell of sweet-tart scented apple blossoms stuck in my hair.

Each season has it's routine; the fact that the specifics of each routine is so fleeting, is one of the bagillion reasons I love farming. Asparagus season is only about 4-5 weeks, which is just enough time to make every dish you can think of before BOOM! It's on to the next crop. With a big mug of coffee, and bed-head thrown up in a bandana, I hop on the four-wheeler at 7am, eyes still half shut and vroom down to the asparagus patch to pick (the fastest growing and fastest selling) spring vegetable everyone loves.  The rest of the day is spent doing miscellaneous field work with the family, our eyes constantly scanning the flowering field, screaming our excitement to each other. “Do you see this!? Yes Dad! I’m standing right next to you!” My Mom tells me sitting under a black twig tree in full bloom, “this is what my heaven will smell like.”

I always forget how busy spring is! I want to be cooking, but I don’t want to be in the kitchen. I don’t want to be “IN” anywhere. I want to be OUT all the time.  Do I have to go to sleep? I'm surprised when I hear myself say "Ugh. I don't feel like cooking again". I'm so tired, I just want to be taken care of. Is that horrible?

Anyway, because and ONLY BECAUSE I harvested a TON of ramps last week in that magical forest I told you about where ramps were almost as abundant as the soil under my feet, I dug some bulbs. I made pickled ramps using THIS RECIPE from Saveur so I could savor (ha) them once the season has come and gone.

I sautéed the green part of the ramps with asparagus, in truffle oil, with shaved pecorino cheese and truffle salt.  (Inspired by a dish at Elephant in Kingston) and had it with venison shot by Adam. YUM.

My brother and I also went to ramp fest in Hudson Saturday which was AHHHHH!!! Amazing.

I hate to chose favorites, but I gotta say, Speedy Romeo’s house made mozzarella with charred sourdough, preserved lemon, olive oil, and ramp salsa verde was absolutely incredible.

Also, Blueberry Hill Market Café’s blueberry flap jack sandwich with ramp sausage and maple syrup

Bonfiglio and Bread made the most RAMP-ified dish that I can’t remember all the details for but it was basically ramp bagel, ramp cream cheese, ramp cured gravlox, and capers. THAT WAS SO GOOD.