Ramps Primavera

So, I know I’m like two years late on the whole ramps trend, but I’ve never been one for following the herd (though I do love imagining the sound a tiny herd of ramps would make… shuffle shuffle shuffle). Ramps are known as one of the very first vegetables to come out of the ground in Spring. They are just as much a harbinger of the bounteous warmer months as a clam shack reopening on a 45 degree April afternoon.

Primavera is the Italian word for Spring. Pasta Primavera, however, is an Italian-American dish and since Italian-American cuisine developed primarily during the 20th Century – a time at which a variety of fresh, or at least canned vegatables became readily available year round – seasonality hasn’t traditionally been a defining requirement in most pasta primavera recipes. The most common vegetables used in Pasta Primavera are typically peas, zucchini, and carrots – which, in most hardiness zones, will not arrive on the scene until well into l’estate. Or Summer.

Wilted, sauteed and then combined with a cream sauce, ramps would be a natural addition to Pasta Primavera, if it were actually meant to represent Springtime. I’m not a major fan of heavy, creamy dishes this time of year (unless it’s chowder at a clam shack). This recipe is relatively spare on cream and butter. There’s just enough to lightly coat the pasta and not enough to overwhelm the delicate onioniness of the ramps.

Ramps Primavera serves 2-4

1 lb ramps
1/4 C water
1 T olive oil
1/2 C heavy cream
2 T butter
1/4 C finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 lb  dry pasta (fusilli pictured)
Sea salt to taste

Clean the ramps – cut off any roots and, using a sharp knife, peel away any discolored layers. Rinse the ramps and cut to 1 inch strips.

Meanwhile, cook, drain and rinse the pasta. Toss with a little bit of olive oil to keep it from sticking while the sauce is made.

Combine water and olive oil in a saute pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add ramps and allow to wilt 3 minutes. Once water has evaporated continue to saute 2 minutes.

Over medium heat, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the cream and grated Parmesan cheese. Allow the cheese to melt while stirring. Remove from heat.

Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss with tongs or a spoon until well coated. Add the ramps and toss to coat.

Serve warm and think of even warmer days ahead.

Moroccan Beef Hors d’Oeuvres

This lovely little nibble is always a big hit at parties. It adds a hearty touch to round out a menu of veggies, dip and canapes. The spices and salt break down the meat as it marinates overnight, resulting in tender, delicious morsels.

If you have a chaffing dish, or even a fondue pot, you may want to use it to serve the Moroccan Beef Hors d’Oeuvres to keep them from getting cold. If you have any left over, count yourself lucky because these are totally snackable.

The key here is to use dry heat, like that of a flat griddle rather than a frying pan, which will hold the moisture and stew the meat.

Moroccan Beef Hors d’Oeuvre – makes 4-6 party nibble servings, 2-4 dinner servings

1 lb sirloin tip, cut into 1 inch cubes.
2 T + 1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, pressed, or crushed and minced
1 1/2 t paprika
1 1/2 t cumin
1 t ginger
1 t turmeric
1 1/2 t paprika
1/2 t cinnamon
1 t sea salt
1/2t freshly ground black pepper

Combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil with garlic in a large bowl. Combine salt and spices in a small separate bowl.

Pat the meat dry and toss with the olive oil mixture. Using your hands, rub the dry spice mixture into the meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to over night.

Spread a griddle with the last tablespoon of olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Add the meat and sear all sides. Cook to desired doneness.

Serve with miniature appetizer forks or picks. Also great served over couscous.

Flounder Meuniere

Sole and flounder are similar in that they’re both flatfish and they share similar tastes and textures. They are both also difficult to fillet without a good sharp knife. We got five yellowtail flounder from our fish share last week. We’ve gotten flounder a few times from the share and often I’ve not done the best job of filleting. This time however, I got it. Yay. One of the great things about joining a fish share like Cape Ann Fresh Catch, besides getting a generous amount of fish every week, is that multiple fish mean plenty of practice filleting and trying new recipes.

This dish is based on Sole Meuniere. Flounder is so delicate and mild, butter, lemon and parsley add just enough richness and zip without overwhelming.

Special thanks to Bunson for the knife sharpener. Best. Holiday present. Ever.

Flounder Meuniere – serves 3 – 6

3 flounder, filleted
1/2 C flour
1/2 t salt
1/4 C + 2 T butter
juice from 1 lemon
1/4 C chopped parsley

Mix the flour and salt together in a shallow bowl. Dredge the fillets through the flour mixture and allow to rest 10 minutes. This helps the flour to adhere to the fish while it cooks.

Melt the quarter cup of butter over medium heat until it foams. Place the fillets in the pan skin side up to prevent the skin from shrinking, and cook 2 minutes on either side until lightly browned.

Remove the fish from the pan. Deglaze the pan with the lemon juice, scraping up any bits left in the pan. Melt the final two tablespoons of butter in the lemon juice, combining to thicken until lightly browned. Serve with chopped parsley.

Minestrone Soup

Minestrone used to be my favorite soup as a kid. There is something festive about its bright colors and varying textures. With harvest in full swing, we have an abundance of colorful vegetables kicking around. This soup is filled with the full spectrum. I like to throw in a red onion to complement the orange and green shades in the palette. Adding the vegetables in stages allows each to cook to its own ideal texture and it also allows the flavors to layer.

Orzo gives the soup a little heft and makes it more substantial than a typical vegetable soup. Kidney beans fill out the protein side of things, making this Minestrone an excellent choice for an simple and satisfying vegetarian meal, if using vegetable stock.

Minestrone Soup – serves 6 – 8

2 T olive oil
1 leek, cleaned cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 heart of celery
5 small onions (cipolline or boilers), or 2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
1 T tomato paste
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into spoon-sized pieces
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped into spoon-sized pieces
2 medium tomatoes, diced
3 T chopped fresh oregano
1 15.5 ounce can kidney beans
1 C dried orzo
4 C vegetable or chicken stock

In a stockpot over medium heat, saute onions and leeks in oil. Add carrots, parsnips and tomato paste. Lower heat and allow to condense for 5 minutes. Add the celery, toss to coat with the tomato paste and cook another 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, toss and cover. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally to keep the bottom from browning, 10 minutes

Add stock, beans and orzo. bring to boil, lower heat and simmer 10  minutes until the pasta is cooked. Season to taste.

Serve hot with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Pulled Lamb

Why choose lamb over pork for a pulled meat dish? Lamb is slightly leaner than pork, though only by 2 grams per 3 ounce serving for a bone-in shoulder cut. Like red meat, it contains more iron than pork, as well as high levels of zinc, potassium, iron and B vitamins. Slightly lower fat and better nutritional value are both good reasons, but the best reason to choose lamb over pork is for flavor. Lamb has a grassy, more exotic and slightly sweeter flavor than pork.

Another reason I go for the lamb is for sustainability. Grass-fed, pasture-raised lamb is becoming more and more convenient to find in areas where local farming is popular, and obviously, local lamb beats imported lamb when it comes to sustainability. We buy ours from Riverslea Farm at the Newburyport Farmers Market. After the Newburyport market closes for the season in December, Riverslea will also have a stall at the Seacoast Winter Farmers Market in New Hampshire, which runs every other Saturday from November to April, alternating locations between Exeter High School and Wentworth Greenhouses.

Sweet and slightly spicy, this recipe for pulled lamb is great on a sandwich or served over rice or couscous.

Pulled Lamb - serves 4 – 6

2.5 – 3 lbs lamb shoulder
2 T olive oil
1 T butter
1 white onion, loosely chopped
1 T garam masala
1 t cumin
1/2 t ginger
1/2 t sea salt
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/2 C vermouth
1/4 C water

Combine the spices and salt. Rub the spice mixture into the lamb shoulder until thoroughly coated. Set aside

In a large skillet, caramelize the onion in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and butter. Transfer to the slow cooker.

Add the second tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Place the lamb into the hot skillet and sear all sides. Transfer to the slow cooker.

Deglaze the skillet with vermouth, scraping up any solids in the pan. Add the water to combine and pour over the lamb in the slow cooker.

Set the cooker to 6 hours.

After 6 hours the meat should be tender and falling off the bone and there should be liquid and rendered fat at the bottom of the slow cooker. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and remove the bones. Using two forks, pull the meat apart into pieces.

During this time, the fat should have settled to the top of the liquid in the slow cooker. Using a ladle, carefully skim the fat from the surface of the liquid.

Return the meat to the slow cooker and toss with the liquid.

Serve hot over couscous or on a sandwich.