Ramp Season is Here!

Some love them, some hate them, some don't have a clue what they are, some just think the hype is overblown.  Me?  I rather enjoy the ramp.  It's a little oniony, a little leeky, a little garlicky.  The window of opportunity to get them is very brief in the spring.  This year with my ramps I decided to make some ramp risotto.

Start with a big old bunch of ramps.

They are actually easier to clean than a leek and you can use the whole thing, green and all.  Clean them up, chop them up and add them to the pot you cook your risotto in with 3 Tablespoons of olive oil (extra virgin if I'm making it) and a Tablespoon of unsalted butter.  

Saute for about 5 minutes.... no browning really is required here, you just want to start to soften the ramps.  After the 5 minutes, add a cup of Arborio rice (or any other short grain risotto rice you prefer).  And stir it into the ramps for 2-3 minutes, coating the rice in the oil/butter.  To that add a half cup of white wine.  Stir until the wine is absorbed.  

Then it's business as usual in the risotto game.  Add a ladle-ful of broth to the pot and stir until completely absorbed.  Then add another, doing the same stirring game each time.  One cup or rice should use about 4-5 cups of liquid.  You can use water, but why do that if you can use broth?  You don't have to make your own, unless you want to.  Use a good quality store bought broth (I pretty much exclusively use Kitchen Basics).  

It's getting there...

Sorry about the steam!

Keep adding and stirring....

I said above to stir broth until completely absorbed and that's what most recipes for risotto will say. But I have found this to be a little less than true.  I have stopped stirring when I make risotto.  Not for long stretches, but I don't continually stir the whole time.  In fact when I was making this yesterday I was also making a salad at the same time.  So broth added, stir it for a minute, go cut some cucumbers, come back and stir until absorbed.   Same thing with tomatoes for the salad, etc.   You really shouldn't stop for long stretches, which I don't, but a minute here and there, I have found to not be an issue.  

When the rice will no longer accept another drop of broth, it's time to stir, cook and let it thicken up a little.  You don't want it stiff, but I don't like my risotto like porridge either.  No soupy risotto please!   It should be soft and creamy.  At the end of the cooking, add half a cup of Parmesan cheese and before you know it, it's done!   

I was rather fond of this ramp risotto.  I think I'll make it again next Spring!   

Mangia!  :)

Ramps!

Ramps, that elusive spring vegetable that I can't ever seem to find in a store or at a farmer's market.  I guess I'm not quick enough since the window of opportunity on getting them is so brief.  But this year, I was hopeful that I could actually get my hands on some.  The town of Penninsula was having their first ever ramp festival, Ramp Up Penninsula, last weekend.  Not only was I confident that I was going to be able to purchase ramps, but that I'd also get to try some food from vendors who would be cooking with ramps.   Win win!

Yes, I did get to try some yummy food... like potato, bacon and ramp pierogi's from The Pierogi Lady, ramp focaccia bread from Sweet Mary's Bakery, and pumpkin rosemary ramp street pizza from Stray Dog Carts.

And I did get to buy some!   They were selling for $12.00 a pound, which I guess is not a bad price although it does seem kind of steep to me.  I got half a pound and then was faced with the decision what to use them in.  I decided to make a ramp Israeli couscous.  I do love my Israeli couscous.

I started out by washing the ramps thoroughly.  Like their cousin, the leek, they do get a lot of dirt in them and need to be cleaned pretty carefully and meticulously. 

Aren't they perty?  So fragrant, so fresh and so yummy!  The whites and the greens are both edible so after cleaning them, I chopped and then put them in a saute pan with some olive oil and salt/pepper.

The aroma while the ramps are cooking is absolute heaven!  It's a little bit like garlic, a little bit like leek and oh so heavenly.   I didn't cook them very long, just enough to soften them slightly.  And while they were cooking, I made the couscous.  Just follow the package, easy peasy.  Except I cook the couscous in chicken broth instead of water, for more flavor.

Once they are both done, combine and saute together for a few minutes just to meld the flavor of the ramps into the couscous.   

And serve.  Delish!  Oh wait, that was kind of Rachael Ray of me wasn't it?   Yumm-o!  Eh, that was too.  Well back to my own tag line it is... Buon Cibo mia Amici