Tag: ramps

May 13, 2011

spaghetti with ramps

dinner, 4/?/11

This is an extremely simple meal, but it’s very seasonal, and entirely dependent upon the geographic location of the kitchen, since ramps (wild leeks, Allium tricoccum) are available only for a few weeks in the early spring, and only in certain areas along the coast of eastern North America, from South Carolina into Canada. They are also becoming extremely popular, the darlings of a growing food sub-cult, and that is apparently exposing them to overharvesting.

Ligurian olives and Roberto’s grissini
spaghetti (superb Afeltra artisanal pasta from Gragnano, near Naples) tossed with sauteed ramps from the Greenmarket and seasoned with red chili flakes, then finished with a topping of homemade dried sourdough bread crumbs which had been heated in a bit of olive oil with a pinch of salt
wine: Sicilian white, Corvo Fiore 2009, from Eataly Wines

[because I had nothing current, the image used here is actually one used in this post describing a 4/24/10 meal]

May 4, 2010

Atlantic Sea Bass 4/24/10

Atlantic sea bass fillet, oven-roasted after a marination of garlic and herbs (bay, rosemary, thyme, parsley), purchased from The Lobster Place in Chelsea Market; accompanied by boiled tiny Carola potatoes purchased three days earlier at the Union Square Greenmarket from Berried Treasures Farm [the name a nod to both of the farmer’s specialties: superb potatoes and awesome strawberries] in Delaware County, New York, (it was their welcome first day back in the City this season), finished with a mixture of oil, garlic, lemon (zest and juice), and parsley; and grilled ramps, also from the Greenmarket (I was so excited to find their were still ramps available by the time I was able to get to the market after the mid-day banner-drop that I forgot to record from whose stall I had gotten them)
wine: Vermentino di Sardegna, Argiolas Costamolino D.O.C. 2008 from Phillipe Wine
Bosc pears from Migliorelli Farm at the Union Square Greenmarket

April 24, 2009

dinner, April 23, 2009

home-made white pizza with ramps and guanciale, using frozen pizza dough from Whole Foods, prepared and covered with shredded mozarella, ramps from the Union Square Greenmarket briefly parboiled, with the addition of chopped and slightly pan-warmed fresh guanciale from the Murray’s Cheese located at Grand Central Market, and finished with grated Parmignano-Reggiano before sliding it all into a hot oven.
wine: Venaccia di San Gimignano “Rondolino” 2006 from Philippe Wine

It was the first time I’d ever attempted a pizza of any kind, with any kind or form of dough, and until I had put it into the oven on a previously-heated stoneware pan I thought it was going to be a total disaster. Instead, I think it may have been the best pizza I’ve ever had.

[est. total cost of meal for two, without wine: $10.00]

There is a related post on jameswagner.com.

[images by Barry]