I went to the market again this evening (as I do most Tuesdays once May rolls around) in search of my friend Seth from Forbes Wild Foods. I was hoping he’d have more dried elderflowers since I burned through them rather quickly over the weekend.  Unfortunately that was not in the cards today, though he did promise me a bag for next week’s market.  As a consolation prize I helped myself to some of his other tasty edibles; maple syrup, more ramps and some garlic scapes, with not an inkling of what I would do with any of them.

One of the things I love about market days is not planning out what’s for dinner.  I’ll arrive at the market and let what’s fresh and in season inspire me towards inner deliciousness.  This evening I prepared our second real market meal of the season, a sparkling green pasta with flecks of rosy guanciale.

First I started a small knob of butter off in the pan, and seasoned it with the chopped garlic scapes.

Then I added the ramp leaves and let them wilt a little (which is also the time to watch them poof up like this).

Once they’re nice and dessicated, I added the ramp stems and asparagus tips and sautéed until crisp tender.  Then in went the last of our fiddleheads. By that time the whole wheat pasta was finished boiling, so it was drained and thrown back into the pot.

Just before we’re ready to serve I shaved a few small slices of guanciale into the pan with the warmed vegetables and allow it to melt ever so slightly and coat all the veg with its amazing porky juices.

Tossed with the pasta you’re off to the races!

Plus it even makes enough leftovers for a satisfying spring lunch tomorrow!

Foodie’s Pasta Market Meal

0.75 lb whole wheat pasta

0.5 lb asparagus, chopped into 1 inch batons

6 garlic scapes, chopped

10-12 ramps, leaves whole, stems chopped

0.5 c. fiddleheads

2 oz shaved guanciale

0.5 tbsp butter

Salt a pot of water and boil for pasta.  Melt butter in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add chopped garlic scapes and saute until fragrant.  Add ramp leaves and continue to saute until wilted.  Add chopped ramp bulbs and asparagus.  Add pasta to boiling water.  Continue to cook for another 5 minutes.  Add fiddleheads and cook for 3 more minutes.  Remove from heat.  Shave guanciale over vegetables and allow residual heat to melt the fat.  Toss vegetables well to coat.  Remove pasta from heat and drain.  Add pasta to vegetables and toss again to combine.  Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Until next time…

Tags: asparagus, Cooking, fiddleheads, Forbes Wild Foods, garlic scapes, guanciale, maple syrup, pasta, Purveyors, ramps, Recipes

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 at 10:03 pm and is filed under Cooking, Purveyors, Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.