Ramp Risotto

I wanted to share this recipe with you as soon as I took my first bite, but that would have been rude and my dinner would have gotten cold, so I decided to wait until right after I finished eating. Which was when I discovered that my internet was broken!

Those of you who know me well know I don’t handle internet outages well, especially when I have important things to blog about! But, I’ll tell you, it was worth the wait. And it’s still springtime, and you can still find ramps at the farmer’s market, so I don’t feel so bad about holding out on you.

Have you ever had ramps before? Every spring, people go crazy over them. I had to see for myself this year, so I ordered some from Fresh Direct, and their mild-and-sweet oniony flavor is really delicious. And pretty!

Have you ever made risotto before? We have, but this is way better. I think it’s because I made a way less cheesy version (cheese as just a garnish!), which made it much lighter and springier, and also because of the homemade vegetable broth, which really makes all the difference. Jessica was generous enough to give me a quart of homemade vegetable stock, and I wouldn’t make this dish any other way! Also, it’s really not so hard. Just involves lots of stirring.

Ramp Risotto with Peas and Lemon
Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • olive oil
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 bunch ramps, stems chopped, leaves intact, separated
  • 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup peas (frozen works!)
  • zest and juice of a lemon
  • grated parmesan cheese for garnish
  • salt, to taste

Directions:

  1. Chop up your shallot, garlic, and the bottom part of your ramps.
  2. Put the veggie broth in a small pot and heat it up on the stove.
  3. Put some olive oil in a pot over medium heat. I used my Dutch oven. Add the shallot, garlic and ramps and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Season with salt.
  4. Add the rice and stir well. Let the rice get translucent, too.
  5. Add the wine and stir until it dissolves.
  6. Slowly, about 1/2 cup at a time, add the broth, stirring constantly, and adding more when all is dissolved.
  7. When you’re nearing the end of the broth, taste to make sure the rice is fully cooked. You might need a little more or less than 4 cups.
  8. Add the peas and ramp leaves.
  9. Turn off the heat and add lemon zest and juice. Stir well.
  10. Garnish with fresh parmesan cheese and serve.