They were the first ramps I’d seen in the Greenmarket, and it wasn’t a day too soon. In fact it seemed they were more like 14 days late, judging by my Food Blog records over the years.

The pasta was also a treat, and the smoked duck breast was sublime. The mix of those 3 required almost nothing else.

• the sliced white, bulb sections of 3 perfect ramps from Mountain Sweet Berry Farm heated gently, until they had become fragrant and had softened a bit, in a couple tablespoons of Trader Joe’s very good unfiltered Italian Reserve extra virgin olive oil inside a large antique copper pot, 9 ounces of Afeltra ‘Vesuvio’ whole wheat Italian Pastaio di Gragnano from Eataly Flatiron, cooked al dente, tossed in, followed by about 3 quarters of a cup of reserved cooking water, all stirred over high heat until the liquid had emulsified, the heat turned way down and 4 four ounces of roughly chopped applewood-smoked duck ham (breast) from Hudson Valley Duck Farm mixed in, along with barely a pinch of crushed dried hickory-smoked Jamaican Scotch bonnet pepper from Eckerton Hill Farm, also some chopped fresh thyme leaves from Phillips Farms, seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, the ramp leaves, now thinly sliced lengthwise, thrown into the mix, the pasta arranged inside 2 shallow bowls and sprinkled with some grated Parmigiano Reggiano (aged 24 months) from Whole Foods Market
• the wine was a really good California sparkling, Eponina Brut California NV, from Naked Wines
• the music was Helen Grime’s ‘Woven Space’, with Sir Simon Rattle conducting the London Symphony Orchestra