Ramps!

Ramps are back! I got some from the store, because I just missed out on the farmer’s market debut, and maybe waited a touch too long to cook with them (more than a few had gotten too slimy to use). They came without the root bulbs attached, which I believe is the proper sustainable way to harvest them, but it cuts out on the sharper spiciness. However, there were plenty, more than enough for my original idea of ramp focaccia, so I went with a quiche.

It was a great idea, and came out great. I used one of those bottled liquid vegan egg replacers, which I’ve never used before, and the results were suitably eggy. I didn’t use a real recipe, because I couldn’t really find one. I just compiled a bunch of recipes into one, hoping it would work, and it did!

I sautéed two large shallots and half a red onion in olive oil for about five minutes, then added about two cups of crimini mushrooms, salt, pepper, and herbes for another five-ish minutes, then added the ramps (also about two cups) and kept the heat on until they started to wilt. I put all this in a pie crust (pre-made still—sorry), and had about a cup or so of filling left over. I mixed that up with some grape tomatoes for a delicious pre-dinner snack.

I added 1/4 tsp of nutmeg and 1/8 tsp of paprika to the “egg” bottle, shook it up, and covered the quiche filling with it. I put the quiche in the oven (pre-heated to 375) for about 40 minutes, until the middle was solid to the touch and the quiche turned golden. The taste and texture were perfect. The nutmeg added just the right amount of sweetness to counter the bitterness of the ramps, and the mushrooms added a substance to what would have otherwise been a very light meal.