Wednesday, May 25, 2011

pretty in pink: rhubarb syrup


i'm not sure whether i love rhubarb because of its pretty pink color or because its the first splash of spring color i see at the farmer's market. either way, its a really fun vegetable (that charades as a fruit) to prepare and eat.

as i mentioned in my last post, i'm striving to preserve as much of each season's bounty as i can. last year, i made a strawberry rhubarb and balsamic jam and pickled rhubarb, both of which i enjoyed all winter long. but this year, in addition to the jam and pickles, i wanted to try something different.

this rhubarb syrup is quick and easy and turns out a delightfully pretty color of pink.

4 cups rhubarb - cut into 1 inch chunks
2 cups water
1 cup turbinado sugar

combine the above ingredients into large pot over medium heat. simmer until rhubarb softens (approximately 20 minutes). let cool and strain liquid. store syrup in the fridge. i use the leftover rhubarb mash as a topping for my morning yogurt.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

ramp-a-licious


i grew up in the appalachian mountains and every spring my church had a ramp festival. my sister and i hated this festival. to us, ramps smelled so bad and we didn't even bother tasting any of the dishes with ramps in them. thank goodness palates mature.

ramps hit my local farmer's market a few weekends ago, and i took full advantage of the spring onion. my adult taste buds like ramps almost any old way: scrambled with eggs, sauteed with mushrooms on top of polenta or grits or tossed with pasta. however, this year, i am determined to preserve as much seasonal produce as possible so that i'm still enjoying local fruits and veggies in the dreary months of january and february.

so, while a few of the ramps were quickly eaten, the rest were preserved. i pickled some (pictured above), i made a ramp pesto with the tops of the ramps that were pickled, and i made a pound of ramp butter, most of which i'm storing in the freezer (thank you to serious eats for the recipes and inspiration).

after working hard to preserve these delicious spring treats, i combined a few of the products above to make this ramp-a-licious pasta. i added chicken to "beef up" the dish so that the boy and i would have leftovers for lunch for the work week, but it can easily be omitted. topping the dish with a dollop of ricotta and pesto isn't required but sure is decadent. i've recently gotten addicted to salvatore bklyn ricotta, a locally made and locally sourced ricotta.

ramp-a-licious pasta
1 tablespoon ramp butter - divided
1 raw boneless chicken breast - cut into chunks and sprinkled with salt & pepper
1/4 cup raw bacon - roughly chopped
juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
8 ounces orichette pasta
2-3 tablespoons ramp pesto
1-2 tablespoons fresh ricotta

place large pot of water over high heat for pasta. while cooking chicken, let pasta cook according to package directions, drain, and let sit until you add to saucepan.

heat large saucepan over medium heat. melt one teaspoon ramp butter and add raw chicken to the pan. brown chicken on both sides and let cook for approx 10 minutes. add bacon, toss over medium-high heat until bacon begins to crisp (~3-5 minutes).

add cooked pasta to the saucepan and toss with lemon juice, zest and pesto. top with ricotta and another bit of pesto, if desired.