If you’re new to the world of ramps, throw on your most worn flannel, get a fresh tattoo and join the circle of chefs, food writers, hipsters and local eating enthusiasts before 8 am at the nearest farmer’s market. You’ll find them under the produce tent grabbing the perkiest of the elusive Spring produce. Just don’t wait until noon, lest you find all of the ramps picked over or totally gone.
Why the frenzy? Well to begin with, ramps are like a beacon of light, alerting us of the first sign of Spring. They start popping out of the cold, thawing soil around late April, and have a very short season, lasting until about early June. Since restaurants garner the lion’s share of ramps for their seasonal menus, we common folk are only left with a very small supply. Also, ramps have a fantastic taste. Their alternate names, “wild leeks” and “spring onions” will give you a good hint about their flavor profile. They are part of the allium family (onions, shallots, scallions, etc.) and taste like a cross between a leek and garlic – certainly more assertive than a leek but way less pungent than garlic.
To use them, cut off the root, rinse them well (very, very well since they tend to be quite dirty), then use them stem through tender leaf. To cook them, you can take your cues from the Spaniards who grill them whole and serve them as a side with a main dish (namely grilled meat). If you’re in the mood for Italian, grind them along with olive oil and nuts for a pesto-like sauce that tastes nice adorning meat, as a spread for sandwiches or mixed into pasta. You can try your hand at making them the way they do at trendy restaurants, a la David Chang, who gently pickles them and serves as a garnish. Most recently, I saw a very alluring recipe for them battered and fried whole, like onion rings.
We think the mild garlicky flavor of ramps is a natural match for eggs. So in this recipe, you will find them gently sautéed, mixed with earthy, hearty mushrooms and crisp smoky bacon, then cooked into an easy frittata. This 5-ingredient recipe is one that we keep coming back to year after year. It’s quick, simple, tasty and really nice served warm with a light salad for dinner or lunch. And cold leftovers make a great, even gourmet, breakfast.
After you try the recipe, do report back to let us know how you managed to get your hands on this elusive and delicious Spring ingredient.
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 8 oz. mixed mushrooms, thinly sliced (we used cremini and shiitake)
- Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 bunch ramps (about 4 oz.), rinsed, roots cut off and discarded, and cut into 1” pieces
- 10 eggs
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- Heat 10” oven-proof, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer bacon to medium mixing bowl, reserving fat in skillet.
- Return skillet to heat; add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms release their liquid, liquid evaporates and mushrooms brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to bowl with bacon. Return skillet to heat; add ramps and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until ramps turn bright green then start to brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer ramps to bowl with mushrooms and bacon. Wipe out skillet and set aside. Let ramp mixture cool to room temperature.
- Heat broiler. Crack eggs into bowl with reserved ramp mixture. Using fork, stir until eggs are beaten and well combined with ramp mixture; season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in reserved skillet over medium heat. Pour egg mixture into skillet. Cook eggs, using thin spatula to scramble, about 1 minute. Continue to cook without scrambling, using spatula to lift cooked egg around edges while tipping pan to allow uncooked eggs to flow underneath, until edges are set (top and center will still be loose), about 4 minutes.
- Broil frittata about 6” from heat until set, slightly puffed and golden, about 2-3 minutes. Let frittata cool 5 minutes, then run spatula around edges of pan to loosen and slide onto serving plate (take care, skillet’s handle will be hot). Cut into wedges and serve.
- Bacon can be quite a challenge to chop since knife blades tend to slip over the soft fat. Our best trick to cutting bacon besides a sharp knife: freeze until very cold, but not frozen solid, before cutting (15-20 minutes should do). The quick blast of cold from the freezer tightens up the fat and makes it less slippery to cut through.