April 22, 2011

This Week You'll Receive Some of the Following:

Eggs
Kale
Baby Arugula
Wheat Bread
Wild Ramps

Ramps
Allium tricoccum

Ramps are usually referred to as “wild onions” or “wild leeks” and they are one of the first things to emerge from the forest soil in the springtime. Their pungency is remarkable (stronger than onion and funkier than garlic) and they can be used like scallions or shallots. The entire plant is edible, including the green leaves: just trim off the tiny root end (as with a scallion) and wash them carefully.


Steamed Kale with Ramp Vinaigrette

1 T extra-virgin olive oil
2 ramps, sliced thin (including greens)
Splash red wine vinegar
1 bunch kale, including stems
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steam the kale just until wilted (if using young kale, steam for 2-3 minutes; if using fully grown, fibrous kale, steam for 7-10 minutes), then transfer to a warm bowl. Meanwhile, assemble the vinaigrette. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium low heat, then toss in the sliced ramps and sauté about one minute, just until fragrant. Add a tiny splash of simple red wine vinegar along with some sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Whisk to combine, then drizzle the vinaigrette over the steamed kale and serve immediately.



Ramp and Gruyere Quiche

1 pie dough (store bought is fine, though home-made is quite a bit better)
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (you may substitute Comté or Swiss)
4 eggs
4-6 ramps, including greens, minced
1 T. butter, plus more for pie dish
Sea Salt and Pepper
1/3 cup half and half
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter a 9.5 inch pie dish then unroll the pie dough into the dish. Cover with a piece of foil and place a smaller dish inside to weight the crust down. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven, take off the foil, and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, sauté the ramps in the butter just until slightly wilted and fragrant (about one minutes), then remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sautéed ramps, half and half, a pinch of cayenne, and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper.

Arrange the grated cheese in the bottom of the pre-cooked pie dough, then pour the egg mixture over the cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes or just until set (if you shake the quiche slightly, it should not move). Allow to cool for at least ten minutes before serving.