​Springing Forth

Spring is probably my favorite time of year as winter melts away revealing the rich sodden soil and its heady aroma. A time to shed the gloomy grey of late winter for the potential of the spring bloom. Time to source two of my favorite spring treats; ramps and morels. You would be hard pressed to find either in your local grocery. Foragers who guard their secret places might share their finds, but at a cost as ramps can go for $20.00 a pound and upward. Morels, well that is an entirely different story.

Allium tricoccum, aka ramps, also referred to as wild leeks even though they aren’t leeks at all. They bear similarities in appearance to green onions and are a cousin to onions but that is where the similarity ends. Garlicky and pungent with tender leaves and a bulb type root ramps set the culinary world on its ear every spring in the northeast. Chefs in New York drive the market and the demand is high for the short window ramps are around.

As it happens ramps are mostly found east of North Dakota, predominantly in Appalachia and the north east. The demand has become so great that concerns are being voiced about over foraging and efforts to maintain sustainability are in effect. Research shows that Minnesota has some very large areas where ramps appear to be quite prolific. So as the weather warms I will don my wellingtons and tromp through the lowlands in search of ramps.

Once found, don’t devastate the area leave some for the next season as they will rebound. They can be quite dirty and they are tender so a careful washing is in order. Soak them in an ample amount of cold water gently agitating them to dislodge any dirt. Lift them out of the water and drain well. To store them wrap them in damp paper towels and put them in a zip lock bag, use them as quickly as possible as they fade away fast.

I grill them whole, leaves and the bulb together and serve them with a drizzle of olive oil and a dusting of freshly grated parmesan next to fish, chicken or steak. They can be pickled and served as a vibrant condiment to cured meats or smoked salmon. I also like to pair them up with the season’s first fresh morels in a celebration as a spring risotto. The creamy Arborio takes on the pungent ramps and earthy mushrooms harmoniously along with some fresh asparagus, lemon and parmesan for a delightful evening meal.

Which brings us back to those pesky elusive morels. Any mushroom hunter worth their salt will warn amateur foragers to have whatever fungi you discover approved by an experienced person in the know before ingesting your find. Morels with their honey combed texture and conical shape are pretty recognizable but there are some little phonies out there that don’t play nice with humans so be wary.

Morels are probably one of the most desired mushrooms for flavor, texture and aroma and consequently are expensive. Experienced foragers will protect their turf like a Momma bear protects her cubs so be for ewarned, this is serious business. Fresh morels can fetch upwards of $40.00 per pound and dried vary considerably, up to as high as $150.00 a pound. Unlike other mushrooms or fungi, morels are hollow so it takes more of them to make up a pound as say chanterelles would (my other favorite mushroom). Consequently it takes about 8 to 10 pounds of fresh morels to make one pound of dried.

Because of their honeycombed texture they need to be cleaned thoroughly. Same procedure as for ramps but with the addition of some salt to water, this will help remove any little critters residing in the textured spongy mushroom. Only wash what you are about to use as washing will start to deteriorate the integrity of the mushroom. Sautéing the mushrooms for a side with steak or chicken with some shallots or including them in a sauce is optimal and of course in a risotto. One time I stuffed fresh morels with foie-gras and fried them in a light batter like a beignet as an appetizer, sinfully delicious.

I will be demonstrating my spring risotto in April at Pinch & Pour on Broadway in downtown Fargo. More details will be available on their web-site and Facebook page. Drop by for my take on what spring tastes like. In the meantime forage away or drop by Whole Foods they just might have some pungent, garlicky ramps and if you are really lucky morels. Good news is the price of morels might be down by as much as 50% this season due to last season’s forest fires in the northwest. Morels propagate in the after burn of such fires, hence the nickname “burn mushroom”.