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Cooking with Mother Goose: Ramp and Asparagus Straciatella

Cooking with Mother Goose: A series of occasional posts inspired by children's stories and rhymes.

Jack Sprat

Jack Sprat could eat no fat,
His wife could eat no lean.
So betwixt them both, you see,
they licked the platter clean.

My eating mood this spring has matched the weather. On any given day, I'm not really sure whether I want to eat something hot or cold, something wintery or something springy. The only thing I am sure of is that I want to take advantage of all the great spring produce that is beginning to pop up.



Last week, I bought some of those harbingers of spring -- ramps -- and some asparagus at the same time. And I got it stuck in my head that I wanted to serve them together. If you haven't tried ramps, they grow wild in these mid-Atlantic states and have a fresh, garlicky flavor. They can go into pesto, an omelette, or sprinkled over a salad.

Thinking about pairing them with eggs brought to mind a spring soup that we made years ago. It was an asparagus straciatella, an Italian soup with egg and parmesan whipped in. For years, it was the only way that Olivia would eat asparagus, but we hadn't made it in a long time. My ramps were a bit banged up, too, so throwing them into a soup seemed like a good solution.

The ramps added great flavor to the soup which suited my mood this cool spring: a hot soup with spring flavors. Olivia was happy to see the soup, but the other two kiddies, not so much.

Oscar didn't want to eat the asparagus, but poked around it with his spoon to get to the eggy broth. Chloe didn't like the broth, but picked all of the asparagus out with a fork. Neither of them finished an entire bowl of soup, but between the two of them... Well, you get the idea.

Next time they'll only get one bowl. No doubt, the writer of "Jack Sprat" had children.

2009: Asparagus with Shallot Champagne Vinaigrette
2010: Asparagus and Goat Cheese Frittata
2011: Ramp Pesto
2012: Avocado and Radish Quinoa Salad

Ramp and Asparagus Straciatella

Serves 6

15 minutes preparation time
20 minutes cooking time

If you can't find ramps, substitute spring onions or garlic scapes for a similar flavor.

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 pounds fresh asparagus, cleaned, ends snapped off, and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 large bunch ramps, rinsed, ends trimmed, and diced
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
6 large eggs
1 cup shredded parmesan, plus more for serving

Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the asparagus and ramps and cook just until the asparagus begins to soften about 3 minutes. Scrape the vegetables out of the pot onto a plate.

Add 10 cups of water to the pot and stir with a wooden spoon to loosen any bits of ramps or asparagus that are stuck to the pot. Bring the water to a boil.

While waiting for the water to boil, whisk the eggs in a medium-sized bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the parmesan and stir again. When the water has begun to boil, whisk the egg mixture in. Add the asparagus and ramps back to the pot and cook until the egg has cooked and the vegetables have heated through, about 3 minutes.

To serve, ladle into bowls and top with a bit more parmesan.

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Watercress and Hot Shiitake Mushroom Salad

I always get a little thrill when I see a new vendor at the farmers' market. Last week at the Silver Spring market, I zeroed right in on the new mushroom stand, North Cove Mushrooms. I zipped over there faster than Buddy runs when he hears food drop off the dining room table.

There were two types of mushrooms, dried oyster mushrooms and fresh shiitakes. I went for the shiitakes with the thought that Gabe and I could add them to a kid-friendly meal to dress it up a little.

Gabe had bought a beautiful bunch of watercress, though, and I started to think that the peppery crunch of the watercress would make a nice contrast to those earthy, tender mushrooms. To add another contrast to the salad, I decided to make a hot dressing and pour it over the watercress to wilt it just slightly (I had that amazing shiitake and spinach salad from Sushi Ko in mind).

When I first served this, the mushrooms and dressing had cooled by the time we ate. It was better the next time, when we ate it while the mushrooms and the dressing were still hot.

We skipped back over to the mushroom vendor again this week and bought even more mushrooms this time. They're still in their brown paper bag in the refrigerator. What should we make next?

2009: Pea Shoot Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce
2010: Artichokes with Quick Hollandaise Sauce
2011: Simple Crusty Peasant Wheat Bread
2012: Avocado and Radish Quinoa Salad

Watercress and Hot Shiitake Mushroom Salad

Serves 4 as a side salad
15 minutes preparation time
15 minutes cooking time

1/2 pound shitake mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed, and sliced (about 3 cups)
1 large bunch watercress, rinsed (about 6 heaping cups)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, sliced into a few big pieces
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons puffed rice
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic and spread them as evenly as possible across the pan. Let them sit for a minute or two until the mushrooms sear slightly. Keep cooking, stirring only occasionally so that the mushrooms become golden brown, until the mushrooms are tender, about 10 more minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set them aside.

Just before you are ready to serve the salad, snip the watercress with scissors into bite-sized pieces and arrange it on a platter. (I prefer using scissors rather than a knife because it better keeps the shape of the cress).

If the mushrooms are no longer hot, heat them again in the pan over medium heat just long enough to get them piping hot. Scrape them out of the pan onto the watercress.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up any bits of mushroom. When the oil is hot, remove the pan from the heat. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper, and whisk. Drizzle the dressing over the mushrooms and watercress. Sprinkle the puffed rice over the top and serve immediately.

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Dark Chocolate Pecan Cookies

Now that you've read the title to this recipe, is there any way that I convince you that these would make a semi-healthy after school snack?

Here's my pitch. Chocolate has become practically a health food. It has been touted as having all kinds of health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure and helping prevent heart disease. It also reportedly improves cognitive functioning and reduces the incidence of stroke. Some reports claim that it reduces blood sugar and staves off cancer. Here's WebMd's article on the subject, and one from the Cleveland Clinic.




Almost enough to make you want to put down the kale and reach for a piece of chocolate, isn't it?

The recipe also has very little added sugar or butter. Sure, there is some, but if we stick to that adage our mothers taught us, "everything in moderation," it's not too bad.

Still not convinced? Well, then, just go for it. New Years' resolutions were so long ago I can't even remember mine. Besides, if your resolution wasn't "eat more chocolate," it's not too late to change it.

2009: Candied Ginger Scones
2010: Coeur à la Crème
2011: Green Rhubarb Galette
2012: Rhubarb Shortcakes

Dark Chocolate Pecan Cookies

Adapted from Alice Medrich's Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy

Makes 2-3 dozen cookies
20 minutes preparation time
30 minutes baking time

8 ounces dark chocolate (with 60% or greater cacao), coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Bring a medium-sized stock pot of water to a simmer. Place a heatproof bowl over it and add the chocolate and butter. Stir the chocolate and butter occasionally until they have melted together. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. When the chocolate mixture is cool to the touch, add it to the egg and sugar mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the flour mixture. Add the nuts and mix again until they are evenly distributed.

Scoop out generous tablespoons of dough and arrange them on the cookie sheets about an inch apart. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the outside of the cookies is dry and begins to crack. Remove from the oven and let cool.

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Kale and Clementine Salad

Raw kale salads are everywhere now and I'm jumping onto the bandwagon. In experimenting with this recipe, I tried a few different approaches to preparing the kale. First I tried just adding the dressing to the kale. This wasn't bad, but the dressing didn't incorporate very well into the salad and didn't do much to soften the kale.

One recipe I found calls for pouring boiling over the kale to soften it. I liked this approach because it was straightforward. The salad tasted good and the kale was a bit softer, but, again, the dressing mostly ended up in the bottom of the bowl.

The last approach I tried was massaging the dressing into the kale. I resisted this approach because, well, kale just didn't seem like something I wanted to massage. I barely have time to massage the people that I love and only rarely -- and usually as the result of a gift -- have I had a massage myself. So, kale? Who has time for that?

But when my other approaches didn't work, I resigned to give it a try. The good news/bad news is that it worked very well. The dressing incorporated well into the kale and along the way, it softened the kale just a touch. The kale was still good and chewy, but the massaging took the edge off. The even better news is that it really didn't take that long. Just a few minutes of working the kale with my fingers was enough to get the job done.

This salad has been perfect for this time of year, when I'm craving the taste of spring, but the spring vegetables aren't yet available at the farmers' market. There is still a lot of kale available, but, instead of cooking it into a heavier dish, eating it raw freshens it up. The citrus and sweetness of the clementines is a bright foil for the kale, too, giving the salad a lighter touch that has seemed just right to us as the days get longer and warmer.

And when I say "us," no, I do not mean the kiddies. Although Olivia and Chloe do like kale, they haven't been wild about this salad. But Gabe and I have been happily munching through it, feeling it do its work as the antidote to the excesses of many birthday celebrations and vacation eating.
2009: Kale Chips
2010: Greens and Basil Risotto
2011: Green Lasagne
2012: Green Apple Fizz

Kale and Clementine Salad
15-20 minutes preparation time

Unlike lettuce salads, this salad can be made in advance. The salad keeps well after the dressing has been added, even for a day or two.

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch kale (about 8 cups after it is sliced)
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
4 clementines, peeled and broken into sections

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and soy sauce. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking continuously.

Remove the spines from the kale. Lay the pieces flat on a cutting board and slice the kale across into very, very thin strips. Toss the kale strips in a salad bowl with the dressing, rubbing the leaves between your fingertips until all of the dressing is incorporated.

Add the scallions and clementine sections, and toss gently. Serve immediately or refrigerate for a day or so.

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Weekend Snapshots: Bottling at Black Ankle Vineyards

It had been a long time since we went up to see the farm at Black Ankle, but we have a French student intern, Charlotte, staying with us and having visitors always motivates us to do less work and have more fun.

Sarah has been practically living up at the farm for the last several days, and a visit there was also a good way to get to see my sister. Saturday was the last of three days of bottling, which is an expecially exciting time to visit.

Because the amount of wine Black Ankle produces is relatively small and the cost of a bottling operation is very high, Sarah and Ed hire a mobile bottling company, Landwirt Bottling, to come every year to bottle their wines. The entire operation is housed inside the bed of an 18-wheeler. They pull into the vineyard, set up their assembly line and bottle until the job is done. Then they close the doors and move on to the next small vineyard.

Watching the bottles move through the assembly line is like watching a kinetic scuplture. Parts are moving constantly. The empty bottles come out of the boxes and are loaded onto the conveyor belt. The contraption then flips the bottles upside down, washes them, and fills them with carbon dioxide to flush out the oxygen. The bottles get filled, and the level of each bottle is measured to make sure they are all the same. Any extra gets siphoned off.

The wine is then topped off with carbon dioxide, the corks go in, and the capsuls are dropped on and stamped on tight.

Towards the end of the line, the labels get put on. One mechanism affixes them and a roller then pushes them on firmly, front labels first and back labels second.

The bottles then wind their way back to the beginning where their boxes are waiting for them. The boxes get loaded with filled bottles and then sent out of the truck on a conveyor belt. At the other end of the belt, the boxes are loaded onto pallets and, when each pallet is full, it gets taken into storage on a forklift.

We got in on the action, "helping" during the end stages, boxing up the filled bottles, sending them down the conveyor belt into the winery for storage, and labeling the boxes. It was just like "I Love Lucy" with the chocolates, making sure that the bottles got into the boxes as fast as they came down the assembly line.

The drawback of the assembly line is that if one falls, the rest go down like dominos. We did lose one bottle that way. One tipped over and I tried to stop the rest from falling, but my reactions weren't fast enough. It was miserable to see all that hard work spilling onto the conveyor belt and floor.

But at least we didn't have to stuff any into our mouths to keep up.