Spring Barley and Millet Risotto with Ramps, Mushrooms and Roasted Asparagus

I'm obviously on a barley kick. It's also ramp and asparagus season and I try to use them in as many ways possible while I can get my hands on them as well as some of the beautiful mushrooms I'm seeing at the Dill Pickle! I saw this recipe from 101 Cookbooks and adapted it to feature some spring vegetables.

1/2 cup millet
1 1/4 cup barley
1 bunch ramps, bulbs and greens separated
1/2 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and spears cut into 1 inch chunks
1/3 lb (approx.) shiitake mushrooms
1/3 lb (approx.) oyster mushrooms
Broth and water (ideally this would be about 5-6 cups chicken or vegetable stock, however, I only had a few cups so I added water as well)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Parmesan
1/2 Tbsp butter
Harissa

-Preheat oven to 400

-Rinse millet and add to a small sauce pan with 1 1/2 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the water is evaporated and millet is cooked through. Add additional water as needed. Remove from heat and set aside

-Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Toss the asparagus pieces with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in oven about 10-15 minutes or until slightly browned. Set aside

-Put water and stock into a small sauce pan and warm on stove.

-Meanwhile start the barley risotto. Slice ramps bulbs thinly. Add about 2 Tbsp olive oil to a large stock pot and sautee ramps with salt and pepper until tender. Add barley and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add stock/water mixture a ladelful or two at a time while stirring. As liquid is absorbed keep adding liquid by the ladleful. This process will take awhile.

-Wipe and slice all of the mushrooms. In a large saute pan heat a Tbsp or 2 of olive oil and saute the mushrooms until just starting to brown. Set aside.

-Slice the ramp greens into small pieces. As the barley is getting close to being done, stir the greens in a handful at a time

-Add grated parmesan (how much is your preference) and 1/2 Tbsp butter to barley and stir

-Add 1/2 or 3/4 of the cooked millet and more liquid if needed.

-Add the set aside asparagus and mushrooms to pot and stir to incorporate. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper and add lemon juice.

*For an extra kick I added a teaspoon full of harissa

**You can make this recipe with just the barley or farro, or even try it as an actual risotto with arborio rice!

Ramps Done Two Ways

In the past several weeks I have been experimenting with that harbinger of spring, the ramp.  The co-op is selling foraged ramps from Wisconsin and I can't stop buying them.  I've also seen them in Whole Foods.  I've tried to versions, sauteed and pickled.  Here are the simple recipes for both!

SAUTEED RAMPS

Clean ramps.  Slice bulbs and stems.  Chop greens roughly.

Add oil to a sautee pan.  Add bulbs, stirring.  When softening add the stems.  When both are softened add the greens until wilted.  Delicious. 

You can also just sautee the greens which I did with the leftovers after making my pickled ramps.  I don't think I even added any salt and pepper!

PICKLED RAMPS  (makes 1 qt. jar) - from Michael Symon's great cookbook, Live to Cook

3-4 bunches (3-4 ramps each) ramps
2 cups white vinegar
salt
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 bay leaf
1 jalapeno pepper (alternately, the first time I tried this recipe I used 2 dried ancho chilis sliced instead of jalapeno since I was out of jalapeno)

In a sauce pan bring the vinegar, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, bay leaf and jalapeno (or other hot pepper) to a boil and let simmer about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.

Clean the ramps and remove the greens, leaving the bulbs and stems intact.  If you need to separate the bulb and stem so they fit in the jar go ahead.  Set the greens aside and use later as a sauteed green.

Meanwhile in a larger sauce pan bring several cups of heavily salted water to a boil.  Add the ramps and cook for about 2 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

Clean and sterilize your jar.  Pack the ramps in the jar and fill with the vinegar mixture.  You want to make sure the vinegar mixture has cooled to room temperature before adding to the jar.  Conversely, I have also kept the jar soaking in hot water.  However you do it, you want to minimize the temperature differential between the vinegar solution and the jar to prevent the glass from cracking.

Fasten the lid finger tight and set out the jar cools to room temperature.  Store in the fridge for up to a month.

Ramps, the Sweet Scent of Spring

Spring has become my favorite season of the year.  It used to be summer, when everything was already green and lush and bountiful.  However, over the last couple of years I have come to appreciate the anticipation of summer, the first small signs that winter is ending.  The first of the local produce that starts popping up elates me and with the co-op I'm getting the freshest and localest produce around. 

And what I've been doing this spring is going crazy for ramps.  This is the first year I have ever bought and prepared my own ramps.  They are a funny creature, kind of a blend between a green onion and garlic with a good measure of earthy funk thrown in. 

They stink when they're raw.  I highly suggest buying them immediately before consuming.  I can't imagine what they would do if left in your refrigerator overnight.  They stunk up the car with just a 20 minute side trip.

But cooked they are amazing.  I've been sauteeing both the bulbs and the greens and mixing them into an isaeli couscous as well as having them bulked up with some sauteed spinach greens.  And I just finished my first ramp pickling (just a refrigerator pickle, I haven't delved into the hot water canning yet). 

Maybe it's because Chicago really seems to be giving us a spring this year.  Maybe it's my 4 day work week.  Maybe it's that my condo is really at its best during these in between seasons, not too hot, not too cold, but front and back porches open with a slight breeze blowing through.  But I've been happier the last month than I've been in a long time.  It has a lot to do with taking pleasure from even the smallest things.  Like ramps.

Israeli Couscous with Ramps, Asparagus and Mushrooms

J is planning a spring wine dinner in a couple of weekends and we had been discussing an israeli couscous salad to serve with the main course.  As a result, I had israeli couscous on the brain and luckily it is sold in the bulk section of the co-op (aside: can you tell I love my co-op?  Love it.)  Sticking to a nice seasonal theme, a strong desire to buy some ramps and some leftover mushrooms from the mushroom pate I made for bookclub we came up with this side dish.

The dish was delicious.  I could eat it every day.  Unfortunately, I can only get ramps and decent asparagus for a short part of the year, so I'll eat my fill now and look forward to next spring.

ISRAELI COUSCOUS WITH RAMPS, ASPARAGUS AND MUSHROOMS

1 cup israeli couscous
1 bunch asparagus, cut on the diagonal into 1 - 1 1/2 inch slices
4-5 large white mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 bunch ramps (about 4-5) bulbs separated from the stems
olive oil
lemon juice
champagne vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pan combine israeli couscous and 1 1/2cups water.  Bring to a boil and then simmer until the liqiud is absorbed, slightly more than 10 minutes.

Slice the ramp bulbs and stems like you would a green onion.  Coarsely chop the greens and set aside.

In a sautee pan heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil.  Add the sliced ramp bulbs and stems and sautee for a couple of minutes, add a little salt and pepper.  Add the asparagus and mushrooms and continue to sautee, again adding a little salt and pepper.  Once softened, add the ramps greens and cook until they start to wilt.  Squeeze about a half of a lemon into the pan and add a splash of champange vinegar and continue cooking until the sharpness and acidity of the lemon and vinegar has mainly cooked off.

Mix the sauteed vegetables with the couscous and serve.

Spring Menu: Asparagus Soup, Israeli Couscous and Grilled Chicken

A leisurely Saturday with no plans often results in a delicious home cooked meal for J and I.  Tonight I was craving a nice seasonal spring menu.  And since it was to be our activity for the evening, I wanted to make a few different dishes.  I had some leftover hydrated garbanzo beans that needed to be used, and some California asparagus (I couldn't resist).  After some discussion and a little research we came up with:

Asparagus Soup with Garbanzo Beans

Israeli Couscous with Ramps, Asparagus and Mushrooms

Grilled Chicken with a Shallot and Mustard Sauce

It was delicious, the israeli couscous a particular hit, with leftovers for the next day or two.