Baked Polenta with Ramps. 100 Days of Recipes: Day 3

Although I've been too busy to go forage in the woods or at the Tailgates, I'm starting to hear of the annual appearance of ramps, the distinctly delicious wild onion that once was a rare find, and now seems to be almost ubiquitous in markets and restaurants. Even so, it is a great marker of Spring, happily has not yet gotten to being in markets year-round.

And while Spring is coming and flowers and trees are blooming, the weather still has fun surprises in April. Day 1 of this Challenge was sunny and 70 degrees. Yesterday was grey, cooler, and rainy, ending in rolling thunder storms. In the nearby mountains, snow is predicted by the weekend. Welcome to Spring in Asheville! It being on the cooler and more dreary end of our weather scale while I pondered today's recipe, I was thinking comfort foods, and so offer this for Day 3.

100 Day Challenge, Day 3

Baked Polenta with Ramps

1 cup coarsely ground cornmeal
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped kale leaves & tender stems
1/2 cup ramps, cleaned well and sliced across the leaves & bulbs
1 Tablespoon olive oil
salt & pepper
optional: fresh grated Pecorino Romano

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a 10" cast iron pan, heat olive oil over med/low heat, and saute the kale and ramps until wilted, but not over-cooked, adding just a pinch of salt and pepper while you cook them. Remove the pan from the heat, but leave the greens in the pan. In a small bowl, combine the beaten eggs with the broth and water (you can use all broth or all water if you like). 

Add the cornmeal, liquid mixture, salt, and cayenne to the pan, and stir to combine. Cut up the butter and sprinkle over the top of the pan (it will float), and if adding the Pecorino, sprinkle over the top to lightly cover.

Bake, uncovered, for about 45-60 minutes, or until the dish becomes puffy and then feels 'set' in the middle (not soupy/soft). Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes before cutting into wedges to serve.

*disclaimer: I have a habit of wanting to try a new recipe and pouring through cookbooks and perusing online to get ideas. So it was, some years ago, when I came across a basic 'baked polenta' recipe, and on a whim I tried a 'half' quantity recipe as it was just for me, and added some leftover saute-ed veggies, so the amounts on the veg are my approximation, as is the estimated pan size. As long as you can fit it all in the pan, go for it! It's also great with diced sweet potatoes, onions, and mushrooms. And bacon. It's kind of like a cross between a frittata and cornbread dressing. Very comfort-foodie, and if you already have the leftovers, it's almost a one-dish preparation. As much as I love messing up the kitchen for a recipe, stirring everything in one pan and baking it is a nice way to go, too.

Ramping up Simplicity

While I'm still not putting plants in the ground until after Mother's Day, I always feel like Spring has officially sprung when ramps show up at the market.

Love my Locals! Eggs & Shiitakes from Mudluscious Gardens
and local ramps from Katuah Market.

And as with most things fresh from the garden or farm, simple is best. Other than what you see in the picture, the only other ingredients I used were olive oil, salt, and pepper.

saute chopped ramp bulbs and leaves in olive oil until softened.
Season with salt & pepper.

Add sliced shiitake mushrooms. Continue to cook until moisture is released
and mushrooms are tender, but still have a bite.

Break two eggs into pan, lightly salt/pepper. Begin to softly scramble,
but only the whites.

Once the whites are cooked, break the yolks and stir
to coat the rest of the pan.

Cook yolks to preferred doneness. I like them soft - the flavors are simple and fresh,
earthy and aromatic. 

Homemade Guest Series: Spring Brunch, pt. 2

Series Guest Matt Clark (l) with his partner Stephen Der Margosian

enjoying his delicious Spring Brunch on the patio at Bittersweet Cottage.

Part 2 of our first Guest Series takes us to Bittersweet Cottage & Suite, where co-owner Matt Clark is whipping up a delicious Spring Brunch featuring the local and seasonal goodies we picked up at the Tailgate Market in Part 1.

Bittersweet Cottage, a beautiful getaway just minutes from downtown Asheville.

A reminder of what we found at the Tailgate Market:

Fresh ramps, kale, quali eggs, lamb sausage, a fine baguette, 

sunflower sprouts and Matt's homemade pickled beets & onions.

Matt at work in his uniquely spaced, yet highly functional kitchen.

Matt wanted to keep the preparation simple to let the flavors of these fresh, local ingredients be the star attraction. And these recipes can work throughout the year as other varieties of greens come into season. If you can't find quail eggs, you can use chicken eggs (even better if from your own chickens or from a local farmer!). And the same goes for the lamb sausage - this is a recipe that can have many variations.

Our Menu:
Ramp Pesto on Toasted Baguette

Lamb Sausage with Kale, Ramps, & Quail Eggs

Pickled Beets with Sunflower Sprouts

Asheville Brewing Company Shiva Ale

Our crusty baguette and Ramp Pesto, in small crock
by Matt Clark (did I mention he's also a potter?)

Ramp Pesto 
(makes approx. 1 cup)
Ramps have a deliciously strong flavor, and the raw garlic jumps right in with an added zip. The pesto would still be great without the garlic, if it makes you shy!

2 cups loosely packed tender ramp greens*, chopped
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 cup raw walnuts, lightly toasted
1 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
salt to taste
1 fresh, crusty baguette

Place ramp greens, nuts, garlic, cheese, black pepper, and lemon juice in food processor. Pulse or run on low until ingredients are evenly processed. Slowly drizzle in olive oil. Taste for salt and salt to taste.

can't you just smell it?

Cut baguette on the diagonal in 1/2" slices. Lightly toast under the broiler. Lightly brush or drizzle with olive oil, then spread pesto on top of each slice. Garnish with thinly sliced radish.

*We used one bunch of ramps for the entire menu, using the tender leaves for the pesto and adding the chopped stems to the Kale (recipe follows). 

Lamb Sausage on a bed of kale & ramps with bacon,

stoneware serving platter by Crazy Green Studios.

Sausage & Kale

1 pound lamb sausage, whole
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 pound kale, rinsed, stems removed and chopped, leaves torn into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup chopped ramp stems & bulbs
4 slices bacon*
salt
fresh ground pepper
1 TBSP red wine vinegar

*use your favorite bacon. Matt had just splurged on some Mangalitsa (wooly pig!) bacon from Johnston County Hams (Smithfield, NC), and we used that. Smokey, salty, rampy greens.

Cook the bacon in a 12" skillet until as crisp as you like it. Set aside on paper towels to drain off excess grease while you prepare the rest of the dish. Pour off all but 1 TBSP of the bacon grease and reserve for other uses. 

In a 10" saute pan, heat 1 tsp. vegetable oil over medium heat. Brown whole sausages on all sides, then remove from heat. When cool enough to handle, cut on diagonal into 1" slices. Reheat oil and brown sausage on cut sides (in batches if necessary). 

Re-heat the pan over medium heat, then add the chopped kale stems and cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Add chopped ramp bulbs & stems and continue to cook another minute or so, then add the torn kale leaves and sprinkle vinegar over the pan. Stir greens and continue to cook until the kale leaves are wilted and tender (we used young kale, which was already tender, so this didn't take very long at all). Remove from heat.

quail eggs

Quail Eggs
3 quail eggs per serving
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Heat a 10" saute pan over medium heat. Add just enough oil to grease the pan. Carefully break three eggs into a saucer. The inner membrane is tougher than a chicken egg, so we ended up cracking the egg with the back of a knife, then making a slit in the crack to make opening the shell easier. When the pan is hot, gently slide the three eggs together into the pan. Lightly season with salt & pepper and cook to 'sunny side up' (firm whites, soft yolks). Slide cooked eggs onto a clean plate and cook off in batches for each serving.

To serve: crumble some of the bacon atop the greens and serve with several slices of the sausage, and slide the quail eggs on top of the greens. Serve with a side of pickled beets & onions on a bed of sunflower sprouts, drizzled with the liquid from the pickled beets and a sprinkle of salt.

Spring Brunch, served on stoneware plates by Crazy Green Studios

Matt's Pickled Beets & Onions were so delicious, we couldn't leave them out! You'll find that recipe on the blog portion of my website, just click HERE.

We leave you with our lovely view from the patio outside Bittersweet Cottage, until our next adventure (hint... have you ever cooked with stinging nettles?)!

ahhhhhhhh....