Ramps, Rhubarb and… Fir Tips?
WORDS, RECIPES AND PHOTOS BY AMY FRITCH
FOOD IS EVERYWHERE, ESPECIALLY IN SPRING. The garden beckons, the farmers markets are starting to open, and familiar plants like ramps, rhubarb and fir tips start appearing.
Wait a minute: fir tips?
That’s right! I bet you didn’t know that you can eat the tender chartreuse tips of trees like spruce or fir. There are so many ways to get out of the supermarket and into nature, so read on for a few ideas for eating some of the foods found and foraged in the Lehigh Valley.
It all starts with ramps. There’s that one week in the spring when, all of a sudden, everyone is talking about ramps. It’s impossible to have a conversation that doesn’t include the topic of the pungent wild leeks that mysteriously appear every year. It’s easy to get caught up in ramp mania and you’d better enjoy it while you can: The season for them is short, from early April to mid-May.
We spoke to chef and forager Gino Gabriel (@theculinaryrambler on Instagram), a Lehigh Valley native whose foraging spans a wide swath of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and beyond. He shared some tips on where to look for ramps:
“Preferably in an old-growth forest or a deep forest with a riverbed nearby. [You want] a combination of shade and moisture with moments of sporadic sunshine. In the Lehigh Valley, you can find them up and down the areas along the Lehigh River and Jordan Creek. The rail trails that have been converted to parks are an easy source to navigate. North Whitehall has some hidden gems, as well as the State Game Lands in Orefield.”
Of course, we must mention that if you go foraging, make sure that you have permission from the landowners to do so. It is legal in Pennsylvania to forage on state land for personal use, but be mindful of your surroundings. Gino has a few tips: “Never clear out a patch! Harvest mostly just the leaves. But if you do want the whole plant you can still be careful to leave the root intact to regrow. And most of all, be kind out there.”
Ramp Focaccia
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup durum flour
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil plus more for the pan
- 1 bunch ramps (about 8), cleaned and chopped reserve a few whole leaves for decoration if desired
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- The night before you intend to bake the focaccia, stir together the flours, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add the water and stir until combined into a sticky ball of dough. Pour 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on top and use your fingers to spread it over the top of the dough. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and place in the fridge overnight (at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours).
- The day you are going to bake, coat the bottom and sides of a 9- by 13-inch pan with 1–2 tablespoons olive oil. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Using a silicone spatula, gently deflate the dough by pulling it from the sides of the bowl and folding towards the center, turning the bowl as you go. You want to release the dough from the bowl and create a rough ball. Place the dough in the prepared pan and roll it to coat it in the olive oil. You don’t need to stretch it to fit the pan at this point.
- Let the dough rise, uncovered, at room temperature for 3–4 hours (if your kitchen is chilly, I like to do this in a cold oven with just the oven light on). When it’s ready, the dough should look light and puffy and mostly fill the pan.
- Heat the oven to 425°F and place a rack in the middle. Stir together 1 tablespoon olive oil and the chopped ramps and sprinkle evenly over the top of the dough.Place the whole leaves on top, if using. Pour 1 more tablespoon of olive oil all over the dough and ramps, coating your fingers with some of the oil. Using your coated fingers, press straight down to create dimples in the dough. Two or three presses is fine: you don’t want to deflate the dough too much! Sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the crust is crispy and golden. Remove the pan to a cooling rack for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
Rhubarb-B-Que Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small red onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 pound rhubarb trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more for more heat)
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the rhubarb and cook until it has softened slightly, about 6–8 minutes. Stir in paprika, salt, cinnamon and red pepper flakes, cook for 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, brown sugar, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses and apple cider vinegar. Cook until rhubarb is very soft, about 6–8 minutes more.
- Working in batches if necessary, transfer the sauce to a blender and blend until smooth. Add water until you reach a pourable consistency.
Notes
Fir Tips Panna Cotta
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 packet (¼ ounce) unflavored gelatin
- ¼ cup sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (20 grams) fir or spruce tips plus more for garnish
- ½ tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- In a blender, add ¼ cup of the heavy cream and the packet of gelatin. Set aside to let the gelatin soften while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 1¾ cups heavy cream with the sugar and salt until bubbling, but do not let it boil. Remove from heat and add this mixture to the blender. Blend on low for 30 seconds, then add the fir tips. Blend again until the tips are incorporated and the mixture is a light green color, about 1 minute.
- Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to strain out the tips. Whisk in the lime juice.
- Thinly coat four (6-ounce) ramekins with vegetable oil. Divide the cream mixture evenly between the ramekins and refrigerate for 2–4 hours.
- Once set, turn out the panna cotta by inverting each ramekin onto a serving plate (if desired) and garnish with more fir tips.
- Note: These are best served the same day you make them. Cover any panna cotta you won’t be eating the same day. They will become firmer the longer they sit but will still be delicious. Best eaten within 2–3 days.
