26 April 2013

In Your Boxes This Week:

Baby Kale

Spinach

Watercress

Wild ramps

Ramps are wild leeks.  They are often the very first thing to emerge from the forest floor in this part of Pennsylvania and all over Appalachia.  The whole plant is edible (once you lop off the little root end, as with a scallion).  Use them like green onions or leeks or spring garlic--they are delicious with egg dishes and are also good very lightly sauteed in olive oil and then tossed with spaghetti and Parmigiano.

Ramp-"Truffled" Oven Fries

When tossed with potatoes and baked this way, the ramps offer the finished fries the earthy, slightly sulfurous flavor of truffle--the first time I made these I swore they were truffle fries.  They are extremely easy, though the parchment paper is a must.

4 medium russet potatoes, peeled (if organic, you might leave the peels on)

3 ramps, whites and greens chopped

Extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the potatoes into rather thin "french fry" links.  Transfer to a deep bowl, drizzle with a healthy amount of olive oil, the ramps, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.  Spread out on a single layer upon the parchment paper and put in the oven.  Turn the heat down to 425 and bake for fifteen minutes, then turn the potatoes so they brown on all sides.  They are finished when they are crisp, 20-25 minutes. 

Spring Salad with Baby Kale, Ramp Vinagrette, 

Citrus, Walnuts, and Feta

Many people assume you must braise or steam kale, but with a little knife work you'll find it makes an excellent salad green.  It's also very, very good for you.  This salad serves two.

4 cups baby kale, rinsed and spun dry, then chopped or torn into small pieces

4 ramps (chop--placing the greens and whites in separate containers)

1 grapefruit and one orange: cut into supremes and reserve any extra juice (see here: http://chefinyou.com/2010/01/how-to-supreme-fruits/) 

3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

4 T. Excellent extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. red wine vinegar

Salt and Pepper

Add a drop of olive oil to a skillet set over medium heat and gently toast the walnuts in a skillet, then toss them with a dash of salt.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, put the chopped whites of the ramps, the mustard, the vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of the juice reserved from cutting the fruit.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper, then whisk together to combine.  Continue whisking while adding the olive oil in a slow drizzle, until the vinaigrette emulsifies.

Toss the baby kale along with the ramp greens and arrange it on a large plate.  Top with the citrus supremes, the toasted walnuts, and the feta.   Drizzle with the vinaigrette just before serving.

Tips for Washing and Drying Spring Greens

Please note that David’s greens are not pre-washed like those you buy in the grocery store, which means they come bearing a trace of organic soil now and then, and even an occasional organic critter.  Washing these greens gently is crucial, since they are easily damaged.  The best way to do this is to fill a very large and deep bowl (or even a pasta pot) with very cold water.  Then submerge the greens in the water and wait five minutes: the heavy particles will sink to the bottom, allowing you to scoop the greens off the top with your hands.  Repeat that process two or three times until the water is clean.  If your greens are slightly wilted, add a teaspoon of white vinegar to the first rinse water—that usually perks them right up.

The very best device for drying greens is a salad spinner: they can be purchased for around ten dollars.  If you don’t have one, you can gently swaddle the greens in a large bath town, then pull the four corners together to make a kind of teardrop space.  Go out to the front porch and swing your arms around in a circle while hanging on tightly to the four corners (you don’t want your greens to go flying).  Your neighbors will think you are nuts, but the centrifugal force will pull the water from the greens into the towel. 

And remember to dress your greens LIGHTLY.  These delicate greens won’t need nearly as much dressing as you expect.