I’m a bit of an odd duck.
Ever since I was a child I’ve loved to eat my greens (with the exception of green peppers, which I think are absolutely repulsive). In fact, I’ve never met another person who prefers green vegetables more than any other kind (like I do). I might even go so far as to say that I’d choose them over fruit. Astonishing, I know!
Which is exactly why spring just happens to be one of my favorite times of year. Sure, over the winter months you can get your fair share of (greenhouse) microgreens, broccoli and heartier leafy varieties (like kale, cabbage, chard and brussels sprouts) but none can compare to the pungent sweetness of the first ramps, fiddleheads and asparagus of the season. For the other 10-11 months that asparagus is not in season I have extremely vivid dreams of nibbling on those pencil-thin nutty stalks and spears. Clearly I’m slightly obsessive.
Earlier in the week our organic delivery service brought us a pound of fresh fiddleheads and a deuce of asparagus, plus I had the leftover bounty of topless ramps from the farmer’s market, and the clock was literally ticking for them to get used before they went bad. Another thing to note about fresh, new spring greens; they have a shorter shelf life than your typical root vegetable. But, if you just treat them simply, they’ll be the star of your meal (and possibly give you funny smelling pee!)
Over the weekend the Everyman and I returned to Czehoski on a desperate search for more of those divine tamales, (which we were unable to procure, by the way). After 2 meals out (both at Czehoski, no less) in 72 hours, I felt the need for lighter, spring-inspired fare to combat the decadent cheeseburger and fries with bacon gravy I’d wolfed down at lunch. The pile of green veg hanging out in the fridge seemed the perfect antidote to grease, bacon and fat, so I set to work cleaning the lot of them.
After washing and chopping into manageable bites, I broke out the saute pan and a small nub of butter. In went the ramps to perfume the brown butter. Next, the asparagus chunks for about 5 minutes, and finally the fiddleheads, just long enough to change their color to a vibrant emerald green. A drizzle of coffee oil, a quick crack of salt and pepper and onto the plate it went. To add a little protein for the Everyman, I chopped up a few leftover homemade parmesan and panko chicken tenders and it was off to the races. What a treat!
Now I know I’m no whiz with a camera (and you’ve gotta give me credit for always giving it my best effort) but you have to admit that looks pretty damn tasty. And it was. It made the absolute perfect remedy for an overindulgent long weekend; crunchy, healthy, flavorful and satisfying. Not bad for something I whipped up in 10 minutes while enjoying a cocktail, don’t you think?
Foodie’s Springtime Crunch Salad
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and chopped into 2 inch lengths
0.5 lb fiddleheads, rinsed until the water runs clean, brown ends removed
12-15 ramps, washed,trimmed and sliced into 0.5 inch rings
1 tbsp butter
coffee oil
Melt butter in a large saute pan. Add ramps and stir to coat on medium heat until soft and translucent, 3 minutes. Add chopped asparagus and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the fiddleheads and toss lightly until they have become a more vibrant shade of green. Remove from heat and drizzle with coffee oil, salt and freshly cracked pepper. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 appetizer/side dish portions or 2 main course servings.
Until next time…
Tags: asparagus, Cooking, Czehoski, fiddleheads, ramps, Recipes, Restaurants
