RAMP PESTO AND SAVORY RAMP SCONES

 RAMP PARMESAN PESTO 

And 

SAVORY RAMP & CHEESE SCONES

This past weekend, I went SOMEWHERE (Nope, I'm not telling you where), with fields of gold and a forest of magic. By gold, I mean a ground COVERED in ramps; like watch where you step kind of covered. The ramp scarcity we’ve been hearing about was nonexistent in this magical forest. My Dad was completely awe-struck to a level even I couldn’t match, crippled in a bed of bright green blades of glory next to a trickling stream, tears in my eyes.  A bit dramatic? Yeah, I know. So what? The thing is, until now, everything I’ve made with ramps has been carefully calculated as to not use them up too quickly and fully savor each bite. 

With this big of a harvest (I still didn’t dig the bulbs), any invisible boundaries I’d set for myself were blasted to smithereens. So what was the first thing I tried? Pestooooo!! IF I had dug the bulbs, I’d see garlic to be unnecessary; however…since this wasn’t the case, I added a few cloves, which resulted in utter perfection. I mixed some in with my pasta the other night which was good, but you could really add it to anything: eggs, fish, chicken, roasted veggies, the list goes ON AND ONNNN. 

RAMP PESTO: (Double/triple it & share with your friends)

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped ramps
• 1/2 cup walnuts (almonds or pistachios would be good too)
• 1/3 cup olive oil ( you may want to add more later)
• 1/2 cup grated parmigiano cheese
• 3 garlic cloves 
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp lemon zest 
• Juice from a whole lemon

1. Wash and cut off the leaves of the ramps.
2. Blanche the ramp leaves in boiling water for about 30 seconds and then immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water using a slotted spoon or tongs. (This makes the pesto BRIGHT green and beautiful)
3. Put the ramps, garlic, and walnuts into a food processor
4. Add most of the cheese (save a sprinkle for serving), lemon zest, lemon juice, and a good dash of salt and pepper.
5. Pouring the olive oil in slowly, process contents until they combine and look, well... pesto-y.
6. Taste for seasoning
7. Store in jelly jars or glass containers or use immediately

 The next morning, I found THIS RECIPE FOR SCALLION AND CHEESE SCONES and substituted chives for RAMPS and made RAMP FETA CREAM CHEESE SCONES! I consider myself a pretty mediocre baker, since I’m a lousy rule-follower. I usually set the oven to…”hmmm that should do it”, roughly measure each ingredient, and bake it for “ahhh that looks about right”. While this mostly works for cooking, baking is, as you know, a very strategic & strict operation. This time, I did everything the recipe instructed and what do you know? They turned out right!

 I STRONGLY SUGGEST ADDING BACON OR HAM! (I wished I had).

Sweet Like Honey

 MOIST HONEY CAKE

(Made with coffee &whiskey)

Buds are exploding into fragrant blossoms that seduce bees to bathe in their pollen and load up their tiny legs with as much of that gold dust as they can before dancing through the fields, inviting the others. They make liquid gold with a name so sweet, we chose to call our lovers the same. Those of us with a thing for sweet may drizzle honey on our fruit later on. Talk about decadence and sensuality.  Just the words: blossom, nectar, and honey make me giddy. 

One of the many types of artists here on earth, bees create a beautiful and delicious concoction mixed from wildflowers, clover, fruit, etc. and overflow it into the most intricate cells of wax. Have you ever pulled a frame of dripping honeycomb out from a hive, dug your fingers in, and plunged them into your mouth? If not, add that to your bucket list. 

Last spring, my brother Adam got a hold of several wild hives. We’d be out working and suddenly we’d experience a “hmmm” so strong, our ears felt the vibration. We’d look up a see a black mass moving across the sky and watch it with the level of awe people would watch superman fly across the sky. We’d sit in the grass and wait for the army of bees to condense on a low-hanging branch, and if the Queen was content, that’s where they’d stay. 

 We do honey bee school tours here at MPO for the kiddies and convince them that bees don’t just fly around, waiting for a chance to stab you with their stingers; they make it possible to eat and wear clothes! My Mom makes them all blush and “eww” when she points out, “we’d all be sitting here naked if it weren’t for bees!” 

If you haven’t already, I strongly urge you to watch “Vanishing of The Bees” and “Queen of The Sun: What Are Bees Telling Us” which analyze and explain colony collapse disorder. You can watch them both on instant Netflix. (I love the French man who brushes the bees with his mustache.)

Anyway, why all this gushing about honey and bees? I don’t know. I was running under every flowery tree and blanketing myself in blossoms, and just felt besotted. (Wow, I don’t know if I’ve ever used that word before now.) Then my mind flew to honey cake. I looked to the queen of deserts: Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen, since she really tweaks with ingredients and variations with the greatest determination until she meets perfection. This honey cake…is perfect. (ADD A SCOOP OF BUTTER PECAN ICECREAM TO UP THE ANTE EVEN MORE)! 

The ingredient list is long, but the instructions are beyond simple. 

YOU WILL NEED:

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 T baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp kosher salt

4 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp ground allspice

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup honey

1 ½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup warm coffee (or stong tea)

½ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice

¼ cup rye or whiskey

½ cup slivered almonds (optional)

FITS IN 3 LOAF PANS, TWO 9-INCH SQUARE/ OR ROUND CAKE PANS, ONE 9 OR 10 INCH TUBE OR BUNDT CAKE PAN, OR ONE 9 X 13 INCH SHEET CAKE. 

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease pan(s) with non-stick cooking spray. For tube or angel food pans, line the bottom with lightly greased parchment paper, cut to fit.

In large bowl, whisk together: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Make a well in the center, and add oil, honey, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, coffee or tea, orange juice and rye or whiskey. (If you measure the oil before the honey, it’ll be easier to get all the honey out.)

 Using a strong wire whisk or in an electric mixer on slow speed, stir together well to make a think, well-blended batter, making sure that no ingredients are stuck to bottom. 

 Spoon batter into prepared pan(s). Sprinkle top of cake(s) evenly with almonds, if using. Place cake pan(s) on two baking sheets, stacked together (this will ensure the cakes bake properly with the bottom baking faster than the cake interior and top).

Bake until cake tests done, that is, it springs back when you gently touch the cake center. For angel and tube cake pans, this will take 60-70 minutes, loaf cakes about, 45-55 minutes. For sheet style cakes, baking time is 40-45 minutes. 

GLAZE: 

Mix well and drizzle on top:

¼ cup brewed coffee, room temp

¼ cup whiskey/rye

¼ cup brown sugar

2 T melted butter

¼ tsp salt. 

RAMP SEASON

 RAMPS

 If anybody saw me coming out of the woods the other morning, they might have either ran to me to see if I was ok, or done the opposite and ran away- fast. I emerged from the shaded trees, wide-eyed and vivacious, my knees and boots hidden by globs of mud; my hands covered in dirt and stinging nettle bumps, with a bag clutched to my chest.  I didn’t kill anyone. It was my first ramp harvest of the season! The first Spring green to poke out of the dead leaves and titillate our taste buds! The next morning, while sprinting down the hill for more, I twisted my ankle pretty bad. I promise you, gathering ramps is not a dangerous endeavor. I just get a little (too) excited sometimes. 

The ramp is often referred to as a wild leek, and the flavor is very similar; just a little more delicate. Both the flavor and odor is a sort of cross between onion and garlic and can be substituted in any recipe that calls for either. I ‘ll most likely be posting a bunch of recipes and information while they’re in season, but I thought this would be a good one to kick off the celebration and bring out the flavor if you’re unfamiliar with them. 

Here’s a great article by one of our favorite customers Chris Matthews:

http://upstatedowntownny.com/2011/04/25/rite-of-spring-ramps/

ALSO, BE SURE TO CHECK OUT HUDSON RAMP FESTIVAL-  MAY 4^TH! Our hard cider will be on tap at SWOON's table.

 http://www.rampfesthudson.com/

RAMP CHIPS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Wash the ramps right before using them. Slide off the skin around the bulb and pull of the roots. 

Lay them out in a tea-towel and pat dry

Toss and coat them in a bowl with 1 T olive oil, 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar, and 1/8 tsp. sea salt.

Spread out in a single layer on a large cookie tray and bake for about 5-6 minutes, checking occasionally. 

Let cool and enjoy! (peel the ramps off the tray from the bulb)

Signs of Spring and BRAISED FENNEL WEDGES WITH SAFFRON AND TOMATO

Spring In The Hudson Valley 

 Everybody is beginning to emerge from their own form of hibernation. We bump into each other while out for a cup of coffee and tentatively ask “So, how’d you survive the winter?” Whether our cold and isolated winter experiences deserve a word so dramatic as “survive” is irrelevant, seeing as the seasonal depression in these parts is pretty significant.

We see purple violets poking out on the shady hillsides and bright green arrows shooting up from the daffodil bulbs we dug into the ground in the fall, as an advanced present to our spring selves. We hear peepers at night and cheer, close our eyes and quite literally soak in the sporadic sun bursts like we’ve been frozen for years, and switch over to iced coffee even though it’s not quite 50 degrees. The anticipation and imminence of warm weather ahead is enough to wake us up and remind us of our social nature. We’ve finally had enough tea and honey, worn out all our Smartwool socks, used up our wood stacks, and grown tired of every film and series on Netflix.  

I made a little trip out to Saunderskill farm to visit a special birthday girl and went inside their greenhouse where our herbs and vegetables are being seeded. THAT SMELL! Moist, warm, soil. AHHHHH! It’s the best. I’ve cut branches of forsythia, quince, and apple for my bedroom. I’ve taken a few deep walks into the woods where rich green ferns and moss are splayed out on the forest floor. My eyes have been so starved for color… These are the things that get me going...

I asked my Mom what spring means to her and she replied with a steadfast answer: “PANIC”. We have so, so, so much work to do, it feels overwhelming. One day at a time, right?

HERE IS A DINNER I MADE THE OTHER NIGHT THAT BLEW MINDS AND DELIGHTED BELLIES. . 

When I was reading my new Vegetable Literacy Book, I came across the celery/carrot/fennel family section and  since fennel is something I’ve only had raw in salads or dip platters, my curiosity kicked in while reading this recipe. My Dad insists it’s one of the best dishes he’s ever had, hm... I discovered that when fennel is sautéed or roasted, the sugars caramelize (as they do with beets, carrots, etc), turning the bulb gold and adding a unique flavor with only the slightest hint of anise flavor you’d get knocked with when eating it raw. The amalgamation of flavors in this dish is so reminiscent of an Italian pasta dish you won’t believe it’s a vegetable. It tastes like a tortellini minestrone soup, EXACTLY. ( I didn’t have saffron and couldn’t afford to get some. No biggie if you’re in the same boat. It was still perfection). 

A white fish goes very well with the flavors.  

 BRAISED FENNEL WEDGES WITH SAFFRON AND TOMATO

INGREDIENTS:

• ·         2 large fennel bulbs, trimmed of stalks and greens (save for another use), halved lengthwise, and cut into wedges about 1 ½ inches at the widest part

• ·         3 T olive oil
• ·         1 onion, thinly sliced
• ·         2 tsp fennel seeds
• ·         Pinch of saffron threads (I didn’t have any. It didn’t even need it, if you ask me)
• ·         ½ tsp dried thyme
• ·         1 garlic clove, crushed
• ·         3 T tomato paste
• ·         1 ½ cups fennel, chicken, or vegetable broth. (I was thrilled with chicken)
• ·         Sea salt and cracked black pepper
• ·         1 T butter

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

• ·         Heat olive oil in a wide sauté pan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and fennel seeds, crumble in the saffron, and then cook until the steam releases color from the saffron, after several minutes.

• ·         Add the fennel wedges and cook them until golden, turning them and the onions occasionally.

• ·         Once they’re well cooked, add the garlic, stir in the tomato paste, and then add the stock and 1 tsp sea salt.

• ·         Scrape the pan to release the juices, then cover and simmer until the fennel is tender, another 15 min or so.

• ·         If there’s an excess of liquid, pour it into a small skillet. When ready to serve, add the butter to the juices, bring to a boil, and then simmer until rich and syrupy. Reheat the fennel, taste for salt and pepper, and pour the sauce over the fennel. Garnish with fennel greens.