Posts Tagged “ramps”
Most minestrones I have known (and loved) are heavy, rich and satisfying on a cold winter day. This wonderful spring minestrone is rich, but it is also light and bright and filled the best of spring produce: peas, asparagus, artichokes. A perfect vehicle to use up the last of the ramps.
We finally scored a couple of bunches of ramps. Now what do we do with them? First off we pickled the white and red ends of most of them – so they would last a little longer. Then we used the green wings to make biscuits. And a frittata. And spring minestrone. And a pesto.
I kind of made up this recipe based on several savory cheese scone recipes I found. They are both very satisfying and remarkably light. And they have bacon in them. And cheese. And did I mention ramps? You seriously want to try these. Your mouth will thank you.
Ramps are wild leeks and look pretty much like green onions – if green onions had wide green wings to unfurl. They are sweet and a little pungent – like a cross between young spring onions and garlic. But they’re also just a funky enough that you know they are a wild flora and not cultivated. They’re the first fresh, locally grown produce of the spring and they’re barely available for even a month, heralding the arrival of asparagus, fiddlehead ferms, and garlic scapes.
