I confess to being a little overwhelmed. Wait, did I confess to that already? It doesn't feel like things have eased up much. But I guess I'll sleep when I'm dead, as the saying goes. And I ain't dead yet. But I am a bit behind. So this recipe for pickled ramps is coming at you at a time when the farmers markets are no longer overflowing with wonderful wild leeks. Still, it works just as well with scallions which are now in abundance. One of the best things about these pickles—aside from the pungent, sweet-tart, slightly crisp ramps (or scallions) themselves—is the leftover brine. I have been using mine for salad dressing. Whisked with a bit of mustard and some olive oil, it's perfection. It's also great to dirty up your martini. Ice cold gin, a little pickled ramp brine and maybe even a slim ramp slung over the side of your glass.I love them with cheese! Above, they're arranged on top of ricotta-smeared rye with a few sprouts and a good sprinkling of red sea salt. I chopped up a few and plopped them into my latest quesadilla. It's a good idea. You can also fold them into omelettes, toss them into salads, stir them into mashed potatoes and use them as a garnish for cold soups. I think you get the idea. Pickled ramps are easy, versatile and just one in a series of homemade condiments coming your way.
Read More...

So remember that incredible lo mein with ramps and trout roe I mentioned eating at Momofuku Ssam Bar last week? I just couldn't wait to have it again—and I wanted you to be able to try it at home while ramps are still in season—so I made my own version of it. For those of you asking what is a ramp?, it's a wild leek that is foraged at this time of year. Whole Foods carries them in some locations, but they're all over the farmers markets right now. And enthusiastic locavores are charging about the countryside on a rampage, filling their reusable cloth bags with them by the armload. With a flavor somewhere between scallion and garlic, they've got a slim white bulb at the end of a stalk that's often a bit purple, and flat leaves that are a brilliant green. You can eat these leaves, too, sauteed with oil in a hot pan. Rich in selenium and sulfur, the ramp has been the subject of intense study in the areas of cancer prevention and treatment. But, really, it's just plain delicious, and goes so well with the other foraged delicacies of spring: fiddleheads, morels and asparagus.
Read More...