Spring Eggs with Asparagus

I stumbled upon this recipe last night from The Perennial Plate and decided to try it for breakfast since I had almost everything I needed.

The Perennial Plate is a weekly webseries in which chef/activist Daniel Klein explores different aspects of food in Minnesota. Topics so far include foraging for morels, making cheese, and butchering a Thanksgiving Turkey. I highly recommend the series. They also host Harvest Dinners as a sort of underground restaurant. Alex and I attended the most recent dinner and had a fantastic meal, every part of which was local. If you are in the Twin Cities, you should definitely check one out.

Anyway, I didn't quite have all the ingredients, plus I added some morels, because the other day I was at the grocery store and decided I felt like spending over $7 on two mushrooms (they were pretty big, but still, these things are $40/pound). Needless to say, they are totally optional.



Spring Eggs with Asparagus
Adapted from The Perennial Plate

2 eggs
1 1/2 tbsp butter
4 asparagus spears
Olive Oil
Red Wine vinegar
Morels or other mushrooms(optional)
Wild Ramp Pesto

Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and pour into a cold pan. Heat, along with 1/2 tbsp butter, over low heat and stir constantly.

In a skillet, sautee the mushrooms in butter, then set aside. Add olive oil to the pan and when hot, add the asparagus spears and cook until bright green. Add the rest of the butter and a splash of the red wine vinegar, cover, and cook until tender (1-2 minutes).

Serve with a dollop of ramp pesto.



PS- These are the eggs this blog is named after. Just LOOK at those yolks. They are from Prairie Pride Farm in Mankato and I have yet to find any other eggs that are bright and delicious. Check them out at the St. Paul Farmers Market.

Wild Ramp Pesto

This morning, I saw the Amateur Gourmet's post about making pasta with the Wild Ramp Pesto from Food52. Cut to a few hours later when I found myself wandering up and down the aisles of the Seward Coop without a grocery list. I saw ramps and decided I would make the same thing for dinner. I ended up going out for dinner, so the pesto will have to wait until tomorrow, but I wanted to share this since ramp season will be over soon and I wish I had known how fantastic ramp pesto was a few weeks ago. I would've been eating it by the spoonful until there were no more ramps to be found. If there are still ramps near you, grab them and try this! Next spring I'll be more prepared!

I'm planning on using it for pasta, similar to Adam, or maybe mixing it with some quinoa and doing something like this recipe, which was a favorite of mine this winter. Or maybe both!



Wild Ramp Pesto
Adapted from The Amateur Gourmet/Food52

1 bunch ramps (about 6-8)
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
A handful toasted walnuts
1/3 cup olive oil
Juice from half a lemon
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper


Roughly chop the ramps and pulse in the food processor along with the walnuts and cheese.



Then slowly add the olive oil while the processor is on low. Add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.



Pulse a few times, taste, and add more salt or pepper if needed.

Makes 1 1/2 to 2 cups.

Roasted Rhubarb with White Wine

(I think this was taken before it was cooked, because it looks nothing like that now. I must have been too excited to eat it. Oops.)

My friend Alex had been waiting very impatiently for rhubarb to arrive in the produce section. When she first mentioned her intense need for rhubarb right-that-minute, I thought "Hmm, yes, rhubarb is good, but I can wait." It wasn't until I read Molly's latest post on Orangette that I needed it.

A week or so later, Alex and I walked into the store and she exclaimed "Look!" and then I yelped. I yelped. In public. Over rhubarb. One of the employees turned around to see if something was wrong, but just saw two girls excitedly stuffing produce bags with rhubarb.

There are only four ingredients, but making this recipe, for me at least, was way too complicated. I made it the day after we had started moving and it took 2 trips to the old apartment and one to Target to finally have all the equipment I needed. But that first rhubarb of the spring? So worth it.



Roasted Rhubarb with White Wine
From Orangette, adapted from Canal House Cooking Volume 3

2 lb. rhubarb, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the ingredients in a dutch oven or deep pan. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway. Serve warm or cold. I suggest serving it over vanilla ice cream.

Makes 4-6 servings.