Savory Spring Wild Greens Pie (Torta Pasqalina)

This traditional savory pie is called Torta Pasqualina in Italy and originates in Liguria. My version is filled with wild spring greens including stinging nettle and ramp leaves. The crust can be made with a puff pastry but originally it was made with a strudel-like dough called pasta matta (crazy dough). Legend goes it was originally made with 33 layers of dough to celebrate each year of Jesus' life, but 4 layers works just fine. The magic of it all is when you cut it open to reveal the eggs hidden inside. The whole is rather uncomplicated and makes for a visually stunning and delicious spring lunch. Video of the whole process is below. 

The Dough

Ingredients:

300 g all purpose flour

120 g water

5 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

*This is enough for 4 sheets of dough for an 8" baking pan. You'll need to increase the ratio if using a bigger pan. 

Directions:

Mix together all of the dough ingredients in a bowl. At first it will be quite shaggy (similar to making pasta dough). Keep working for a few minutes and transfer to a clean working surface. Continue kneading with both hands until smooth and homogenous. It needs to rest for at least 30 minutes before rolling out but can be made up to a day ahead. Store in tupperware and wrap in plastic wrap tightly while resting. Keep in the refrigerator if not using right away.

The Filling:

Ingredients:

1-1.5 cups of blanched stinging nettles (completely squeezed of all excess water - this step is critical otherwise the end result is soggy)

4-6 whole ramp leaves

12-16 oz of whole milk ricotta

1/2 cup of grated pecorino romano

salt and pepper to taste

4 eggs

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1. Blanch stinging nettle for 30 seconds and transfer to an ice bath. Remove from the cold water and squeeze all of the excess water out from the leaves. The liquid that is extracted is an amazing green color and filled with nutrients. 

2. Chop the ramp leaves and saute in olive oil in a pan on low heat for 20 seconds before adding in the stinging nettle. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

3. Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside 3 of the 4 eggs. 

4. Cover and refrigerate if not using right away.

The Pie:

Directions:

1. Cut your dough into 4 equal sections. Set your oven for 350F. 

2. Prepare a clean work surface and gather your tools (rolling pin, pastry brush, large cutting board). 

3. Coat each piece of dough with more olive oil.

4. Using your fingertips, begin pressing one piece of the dough to begin the stretching process. You'll alternate using your hands to gently stretch and the rolling pin until you have a nice uniform sheet of dough that is approximately 10-12" in diameter. 

5. Lubricate the bottom of your 8" baking pan (I use a cast iron skillet) with more olive oil. Don't be shy with it. 

6. Gently lay in the first sheet of dough into the pan, using your fingers to press out any air bubbles and to wrap the dough around the top lip of the pan. It doesn't need to be perfect as you'll finess as you go. Brush with olive oil.

7. Roll out the second sheet of dough and lay in on top of the first sheet, again pressing out any air bubbles. 

8. Spoon in the filling and spread evenly to fill the entire pan. Use a spoon to create 3 wells where the remaining eggs will go. 

9. Carefully crack the 3 eggs into the indentions you just made.

10. Roll out the third layer of dough and carefully drape it on top of the filling and let the edges hang down over the pan. Brush with olive oil.

11. Roll out the final sheet of dough and lay it on top. 

12. Use your fingers to carefully roll the edges of the dough upwards, and inwards, to create a sealed edge around the top circumference of the pie. The bottom layers should be stretched and rolled up and around the top layers. Brush with more olive oil and use a knife to create a small hole to steam in the center of the pie.

13. Bake in the oven at 350F for 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned.

14. Allow to cool, slice, and enjoy. 

Farfalle with Scape + Basil Pesto with Sautéed Chanterelles

Farfalle with a creamy basil + scape + toasted pine nuts + pecorino pesto topped with sautéed chanterelles foraged earlier in the morning. Pasta dough blended 75% 0 Manitoba flour from @mulinocaputo and 25% Semola Rimancinata Cuore from @molini_del_ponte_drago @gustiamo . Pretty killer combination using the best of what’s in season right now. Recipe as follows and a short video of the process below.

The Farfalle

Ingredients

300 g 00 Flour

150 g Semola Rimancinata Cuore

250 g eggs (beaten before mixing)

*Portioned for 5 - 6 people

Directions

1. Mix the flours and dump out the weighed amount onto a clean work surface.

2. Use your hand to form a well (like a volcano) in the center of the flour.

3. Carefully pour your eggs into the center and begin slowly mixing together with a fork. Gradually, carefully, work your way all around to incorporate the eggs with the flour, without breaking the outer wall. A bench scraper is a handy tool to have at this point if you have one.

4. After about 5 - 10 minutes it will start coming together into a shaggy mass. Begin using your hands to knead the dough together. Work diligently for another 5 minutes until it is no longer shaggy.

5. Use the edges of your hands, knuckles, to work the dough until it starts to form a smooth ball. Knead it, applying pressure, into the work surface. Fold it. Knead it again. After about ten minutes it should be smooth and ready to rest.

6. Cut the dough into two and wrap each in plastic wrap. Set into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

7. The following steps revolve around using a mattarello (Italian rolling pin) - but you could also do this with a pasta machine. Remove one of the dough balls, unwrap, and place in the center of your work surface. Apply a light dusting of flour to both the surface and the top of the dough.

8. Slowly apply downwards pressure with the rolling pin, starting from the center of the ball and moving outwards. Repeat, methodically, always working from the center outwards. The sfoglia (pasta dough) will gradually begin to flatten and create a large round sheet on your work surface. If you’re finding the dough sticky, use a tiny bit more flour. Periodically flip the dough over and work from the other side. This process requires a little elbow grease and about 10-15 minutes of your time. You’ll know you’re done when the dough stops pulling inwards on itself and the thickness is about 2-3 mm. It should be light and delicate but be able to retain it’s shape. Allow the dough to air dry for about 5 minutes. Dust with a very light sprinkling of semolina.

9. For the next part of the process I highly recommend watching the video below. Using a pasta cutter, cut the sfoglia into rectangles about 1 inch wide by 2.5 inches long (or approximate a pinky length). Traditionally you’ll use a serrated cutter but you’ll notice in the video that I forgot in my haste so my farfalle has smooth edges. Use three fingers, one placed in the center and two on the outer central edges of the narrower side. Gently, firmly pinch from the outside in and slowly lift the center finger and press the edges together. Lift and place to the side to allow to air dry for another 30 mins to an hour. Repeat until you have finished all the rectangles and save the outer scraps for maltagliati. Take out the other dough ball and repeat the whole process.

10. The fresh pasta will cook in about 3-4 minutes in you boiling salted water.

The Pesto

Ingredients

Large bunch of basil

3-4 garlic scapes

Half a cup of pecorino Romano

3/4 cup of good olive oil

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup of toasted pine nuts

Directions

I kept this very simple and just used a food processor - combined all the ingredients and blended in about 30 seconds. The true way to do pesto is to use a mortar and pestle if you have the time and energy. I had a full day of foraging and making pasta and decided the pesto needed to be easy. With the addition of the pecorino this pesto is super creamy and decadent.

The final dish

1. Before cooking the pasta, clean and slice your chanterelles into a manageable size. I sauteed mine in olive oil with a little fresh thyme, salt and pepper until they were well browned and significantly reduced in size - which took about 8-10 minutes. You want to make sure your mushrooms are well cooked. Set aside.

2. After draining the cooked pasta (always reserve extra pasta water in case you need to thin out the sauce/pesto), immediately toss the pasta with the pesto and stir so they are completely coated. Mix in your wild mushrooms and toss together.

3. Serve into individual bowls and finish with some freshly grated pecorino Romano.

4. Enjoy.

Wild Spring Quiche with Morels and Ramps

This quiche has been on my mind for a while and the stars finally aligned - morels (sautéed in duck fat), ramps, fontina, and some sweet/mild Chimayo chili flakes that I just brought back from New Mexico, all cradled in a flaky pie crust. It was better than I even expected and works as breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Video of the whole process below.

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Ingredients

6 eggs

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup finely diced fontina cheese

1/2 cup fresh ramp leaves (sliced into strips)

1 cup fresh morels (or other mushroom of choice) thinly sliced

1 tbsp dry chili flakes (I’m using a mild Chimayo chili for this but modify according to how spicy you like)

Duck fat (or butter)

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Directions

1. Set the oven to 375F.

2. Chop/dice your fresh mushrooms and ramp leaves.

3. Bring a medium sized pan to medium heat.

4. Drop in about two tablespoons of duck fat or butter.

5. Saute the morels for about 5 minutes.

6. Add the dried chili flakes and continue to simmer on medium/low for a few more minutes.

7. Add the ramp slivers and turn the heat off. It will smell fragrant and amazing. Allow to come to room temperature.

8. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and heavy cream.

9. Add the finely diced fontina (grated works here too) into the egg mixture.

10. Add the mushroom & ramps mixture and mix well. The oil from the chili flakes will mix with the eggs and make a wonderful orange color.

11. Season with salt and pepper.

12. Pour the egg mixture into your prepared/parbaked pie crust. (see below for more details about how I made it, but feel free to use whatever pie dough recipe you prefer. The recipe I am using requires you to pre-bake the crust for 20 minutes before you add the filling.)

13. Bake at 375F for about 40 minutes until the eggs are set and the crust is a golden brown.

14. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about ten minutes before eating.

15. Enjoy.

The Pie Crust

I’m using a Smitten Kitchen recipe for my pie dough which uses the following ingredients.

Ingredients

8 tbsp butter

1 cup of all purpose flour

1/3 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup cold water

1/2 tbsp granulated sugar

I followed her recipe and was very satisfied with the results - a recipe with very similar proportions as many other pie dough recipes you’ll find online.

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Stinging Nettle & Ramp Leaf Oil Pizza

Always a thrill stumbling into new areas- creeks lush with watercress and nettles and unfamiliar hillsides with healthy populations of ramps. It was still a little early for morels but I came home with plenty. We fired up a bunch of pizzas but I was most excited about this nettle, ramp leaf oil, sausage, and lemon zest pie. It was a good day. Video of the process below.

Ingredients:

Fresh stinging nettle tips (handle with care)

Fresh ramps (leaves only) *please leave bulbs in the ground

Shredded mozzarella

Crumbled sausage (sauteed in advance)

Lemon (to zest)

Good olive oil

Pecorino Romano

Pizza dough

The Nettles

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2. Prepare a large ice bath in a bowl.

3. Using tongs, drop your stinging nettle into a pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Blanching will immediately nullify the stinging power of the nettle and you’ll then be able to handle it without concern.

4. Transfers the blanched nettle to the ice bath to shock them.

5. Drain, and squeeze out as much water as you can. Allow to air dry to remove even more water.

6. Drizzle with olive oil and set aside.

The Ramp Oil

1. Clean your ramp leaves in a cold bowl of water to remove any bits of dirt.

2. Trim the stems off completely leaving only the leaves behind.

3. Lay in the ramp leaves into your food processor (or blender) and add in good quality olive oil. You’ll have to use your best judgement on the amount depending on how many ramps you’re using. The consistency should be thinner than pesto.

4. Add a little dash of salt, and blitz for about a minute.

5. Transfer the puree into a fine mesh sieve and use a rubber spatula to press the oil down into a bowl. What’s left behind is a fragrant mash of ramp leaves with some traces of oil. This can be saved / frozen / and incorporated into countless other dishes. For now, you’re focusing on just the extracted oil that comes out of the sieve.

6. Transfer the oil into a container, ideally a squeeze bottle with cap. It’s ready to go. Store in the refrigerator.

The Dough

For the pizza dough I have been very happy using a Ken Forkish recipe from Flour Water Salt Yeast for an overnight dough (67% hydration) with levain. It’s one of the few recipes that I have decided not to mess with as it always yields great results.

The Assembly & Finishing

1. Stretch your dough and drizzle first with a little bit of olive oil.

2. Layer on your shredded mozzarella cheese.

3. Now evenly distribute the blanched nettles (in olive oil).

4. Spread out the cooked sausage crumble evenly.

5. Grate fresh Pecorino Romano over the top of the pie.

6. Bake your pizza. I use a wood fired Ooni Pro but use whatever works for you.

7. Drizzle on a generous amount of ramp oil.

8. Add fresh lemon zest.

9. Enjoy!

Wild Wintercress Corzetti

Spring heralds the time to harvest one of my favorite wild greens - wintercress (Barbarea vulgaris) - an herbaceous biennial plant in the mustard family. The rosettes that form prior to going to flower are remarkably similar to broccoli rabe. The bitterness you might experience eating it raw is easily eliminated with a quick blanch and shock in ice water. You can then treat them as you would any other greens - sauteed with some good olive oil and garlic.

I wanted to make a pasta that was built around the spring wintercress harvest and got fixated on corzetti - a coin shaped pasta that originates in Northern Italy. Each medallion of pasta is imprinted with a decorative stamp that in many cases has been carved by artisans who have spent their lives uniquely focused on this singular pursuit. What began as a mark of nobility has evolved into an art form. Instead of paying big bucks to have one shipped over from Italy, the tinkerer in me was intrigued by the idea of making one myself. I got my hands on some cherry wood, some basic carving knives, and had myself a go at it. In the process I found myself totally captivated by the meditative enjoyment of carving. The resultant stamp is perhaps a bit rough around the edges but at the end of the day it works.

The final dish is pretty simple. Corzetti with wintercress, anchovies, garlic, chili flakes, good olive oil, a little butter, toasted breadcrumbs and shaved pecorino Romano. Video of the process below.

The Dough

Ingredients

200 g Semola Rimacinata Cuore flour (or similar)

200 g 00 Manitoba Flour (or similar)

1 tbsp dry White wine

4 eggs

Pinch of salt

*Served 4-5 people

Directions

1. Mix together the dry ingredients and form a mound in the center of your work surface. Use your fingertips to create a well in the center, like a volcano.

2. Whisk together the eggs and white wine, and pour into the center of the well.

3. Using a fork and bench knife, slowly begin working the flour into the eggs, working methodically, from the center outwards, gradually incorporating more flour as you go.

4. Once the dough becomes shaggy, you can now use your hands to begin working it together with more pressure. If it feels too dry, add a little room temperature water. And if it feels too wet, add a little flour. Knead/work the dough for about ten minutes, which will result in a nice smooth, elastic ball of dough. Cut the ball in half and wrap each ball in plastic wrap.

5. Rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

6. Unwrap the dough and divide into two. Wrap the portion that is on standby.

7. Gently dust your work surface and begin rolling out the dough with a rolling pin (mattarello). If you prefer to use a pasta roller for this, that will work also. Work methodically, going from the center outwards to the edges, creating a large round sheet (sfoglia). Sprinkle with more flour if the dough seems to be sticking to any surface. Roll it out to about 2mm thickness, flipping the pasta sheet over a few times to work from both sides. Allow the sfoglia to air dry for a few minutes.

8. Using a circular cookie cutter (or corzetti stamp), punch out as many circles as you can. Save the scraps for maltagliati. I like to use a diameter of about 2” wide for the corzetti. They’ll naturally shrink a little after you punch them out.

9. Whether you’re using a Italian made corzetti stamp, or a homemade version (like I did), gently press down with pressure onto each cut circle with the stamp. After a few you’ll start to get a sense of how hard you need to press down. You want the stamp design to really pop, so make sure you’re using enough pressure. A thing to note here is that you may want to throw some semolina down on the work surface to avoid the pasta sticking to the board. The combination of air drying in the previous step (for a few minutes) and the semolina helps to avoid sticking.

10. Transfer the pasta “coins” to a container and cover with a clean towel. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

The Pasta

Ingredients

Wintercress (large bunch)

Anchovies (smashed into paste)

3-4 cloves of garlic (finely minced)

Red chili flakes

Good olive oil

3-4 tbsp butter

Parmesan cheese

Breadcrumbs

Directions

1. Blanch wintercress in boiling water for about 1 minute. Transfer to an ice bath to cool immediately. Drain of all excess water. Set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

3. In a medium skillet, toast breadcrumbs in butter (or olive oil) until golden brown. Set aside.

4. Add a generous pour of olive oil to skillet and bring to low heat. Add the garlic, anchovy paste, and chili flakes and saute for a few minutes until soft and fragrant. Add about 2-3 tbsp of butter, the blanched wintercress and continue sauteing for another minute or so. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Salt your pot of boiling water and cook the fresh pasta for about 4 minutes until cooked. Reserve about a cup of pasta water before fully draining.

6. Drain the pasta and transfer to the skillet with the greens and anchovies. Toss to coat all of the noodles. Add a little pasta water if needed.

7. Plate each portion and finish with a generous sprinkle of bread crumbs and shaved pecorino or parmesan cheese.

8. Enjoy.

Hen of the Woods Chicken Marsala

You'd be hard pressed to find Chicken Marsala on a menu in Italy, but it's pretty ubiquitous here in America. It's become an iconic Italian-American dish that uses Marsala from Sicily, thinly sliced meat (scaloppine), and mushrooms (most frequently flavorless button mushrooms). This weekend in the Catskills I was fortunate to find a few more pounds of Hen of the Woods (Grifola frondosa). In Italy, this species is known as signorina, or "the unmarried woman. For me it's one of the best wild mushrooms around. I was in the mood for something simple and classic and ended up with this rustic Chicken Marsala. There are a million ways to do it, but I went with a Marsala sauce enriched with heavy cream, a rich chicken stock, Mangalitsa lard, herbs, lots of garlic and dark meat instead of breast meat - all cooked in a wood fired oven and served over a bed of fettuccine. Full video of the process below.

Ingredients

1 lb of wild hen of the woods (maitake, sliced into thin medium sized pieces)

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 cup of hot broth

1/2 Marsala

1/4 cup heavy cream

Finely minced onion

3 cloves of garlic finely minced

Fresh thyme (approx 1 tsp)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)

2 tbsp pork lard or butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

All purpose flour

Olive oil or canola oil

Directions

I like to prepare this dish in a wood fired outdoor oven but it can easily be prepared on the stove top as well.

1. Using a mallet, pound the pieces of chicken until they are nice and thin. Lightly season with salt and pepper.

2. Dredge each piece in a bowl of flour, shake off excess, and set aside in a tray while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

3. Finely mince one whole medium onion and the garlic, and set aside.

4. Remove the thyme leaves from their stems, and set aside.

5. Bring a heavy skillet (I like to use cast iron) up to medium high heat. Add a thin layer of oil to the pan.

6. Begin pan frying the chicken until they start to turn golden and crispy. Continue cooking until all pieces are cooked, setting aside the finished ones if they don’t all fit in the pan. You’ll want the meat to be mostly cooked through at this point.

7. Wipe out the pan and pour off any excess oil.

8. Bring the pan back up to medium high heat and add the lard (or butter).

9. Add the onions, garlic, sliced mushrooms, and thyme to the pan, and saute for a few minutes, stirring frequently so they begin to cook down.

10. Add the Marsala, and bring the liquid to a vigorous simmer, cooking it down and reducing it for a few more minutes.

11. Add the hot broth and the heavy cream and continue cooking down for another 5 - 10 minutes until the sauce is creamy and the mushrooms are fully tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

12. Transfer the chicken back into the pan and continue simmering for another 5 minutes before removing from the heat. It should be really fragrant at this point with the herbs and Marsala.

13. Serve as is, or over a bed of your favorite pasta. Enjoy!

Wild Mushroom Arancini

Here's a spin on a classic Arancini where I've stripped it down to the basics and built it back together using seasonal foraged ingredients. I used an arborio rice and prepared as you would a traditional risotto, layering in a stock fortified with wild mushrooms, parmesan cheese, butter and a ramp puree. Any wild mushroom can be used in this recipe but since it's spring I'm using morels and chicken of the woods mushrooms (separately). Along with the wild mushrooms they're packed with hunks of caciocavallo from Jersey Girl Cheese. I'm still on the fence about Chicken of the Woods, but I found the method described below renders them in a way where they almost resemble bacon or pancetta. Of course you can't really go wrong with morels. These are relatively easy to make, and a great way to incorporate wild seasonal ingredients into classic recipes. Video of the whole process available below.

Ingredients

Arborio rice (2 cups)

Stock (8 cups chicken or veggie)

Wild mushrooms (1 cup cooked and diced)

Ramp puree (ramp leaves and olive oil)

Caciocavallo cheese (1.5 cups cubed into small pieces)

Parmesan cheese (3/4 cup freshly grated)

Butter (1 stick)

Salt and Pepper

All purpose flour

Plain bread crumbs

Canola Oil

Risotto Instructions

1. Heat your stock in a separate pan and bring to a low simmer. For this recipe I’m using a chicken stock fortified with wild mushrooms to add more depth.

2. Melt butter in a large pan and add in the rice. Stir well so all the rice is lubricated with the melted butter. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Slowly pour in a cup of hot broth and stir into the rice. For the next half hour, you’ll want to continue adding in one cup at a time so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Start to finish it will take about 30 minutes, and you’ll want to be constantly stirring.

4. After about 15 minutes of cooking the rice, gradually adding in more stock as you stir, add in about 1 cup of ramp puree. Since I’m making this a little later in the season, I’m using a batch that watch frozen. It’s a simple puree of ramp leaves and olive oil. If ramps are not available you could substitute this with a nice garlicky pesto.

5. Add in more broth and continue stirring. The risotto will now be a beautiful green color. Add in the grated Parmesan and continue stirring. Add more broth as necessary. The rice should never be completely covered with broth, but there should always be enough to make sure it’s not sticking to the pan.

6. Season with salt and pepper to taste and allow the risotto to come to room temperature.

Arancini Instructions

1. Take a scoop of the risotto in your hands and form a cup in the palm of your hand. Gently pack the rice down so it doesn’t feel loose.

2. In the middle of the rice, add a few chunks of caciocavallo cheese and the cooked mushrooms.

3. Take another scoop of rice with your free hand and gently pack it on top. Carefully form the ball together, pressuring it evenly all around, being mindful to patch any weak spots with more rice. It should be roughly the size of a baseball, and hold together well after shaping. Set them aside until you’ve shaped all of your balls.

4. In medium size bowl, whisk together about a cup of flour to a cup of water to make a paste. It should have the consistency as pancake batter. Put about 2 cups of breadcrumbs into another bowl.

5. One by one, evenly coat each rice ball in the flour paste. Use your hands to ensure the entire surface is coated. Transfer each ball into the bowl of bread crumbs and roll them around until they have an even coating. Try to avoid large clumps of flour and breadcrumbs. You’ll likely want to wash your hands a few times periodically. Set all of the rice balls into a large tray.

6. Bring a heavy duty pot of canola oil (or deep fryer) up to 350 F. Make sure it’s deep enough to fully submerge the balls. Fry each rice ball for about 4 -5 minutes each until golden brown, turning periodically so they get an ever color.

7. Transfer the balls to absorbent paper, paper towels, to soak up some of the excess oil.

8. Arancini’s are most commonly enjoyed room temperature, but they’re also quite nice when still a little hot. They hold their shape a bit better once they’d cooled down.

Wild Mushroom Instructions

Morels

I’m making these in late spring, so morels are already past peak. I had a good year with morels so I have a small stash of dried morels. I simply soaked them in warm water for 15 minutes, drained, and cooked them just as you would with fresh morels. If using this method, make sure to save the water after soaking, and add it into your stock.

Chicken of the Woods

Full disclosure, COTW is not one of my favorite edibles. They are beautiful to look at, and I’ve been trying to find a way to cook them where I’d be excited about it. I did however enjoy how these turned out, albeit they were more a subtle part of the dish. I braised only the most tender pieces in a chicken stock for about ten minutes. Then sliced the outer most edges super thin into ribbons and sauteed them in some olive oil until they get nice and crispy. Season with a little salt and pepper. The color and texture out of the pan is almost bacon-like.

Spring Morel + Ramp Oil Pizza

This is one of those pizzas that only happens once a year. It is spring at its best in pizza form. And after several years unsuccessfully searching for morels I finally had an opportunity to do what I've been thinking about for a very long time. Sauteed morels, ricotta and mozzarella cheese, ramp oil, wild violet flowers, fresh mint, and a little drizzle of honey on a sourdough crust wood fired in my Ooni Pro. Video of the whole process is embedded below.

Ingredients:

Fresh morels (sauteed in olive oil)

Fresh ricotta cheese

Shredded mozzarella

Ramp Oil (see instructions below)

Fresh mint

Wild Violet Flowers

Honey

Instructions:

The Morels

1. The real heart of this pizza are the morel mushrooms. For this recipe I chose only the ones in most perfect condition and sliced them in half lengthwise.

2. Saute the morels in olive oil on medium low heat until they begin to brown. This will take about ten minutes to soften them up. It’s important to cook morels thoroughly.

The Ramp Oil

1. Clean your ramp leaves in a cold bowl of water to remove any bits of dirt.

2. Trim the stems off completely leaving only the leaves behind.

3. Lay in the ramp leaves into your food processor (or blender) and add in good quality olive oil. You’ll have to use your best judgement on the amount depending on how many ramps you’re using. The consistency should be thinner than pesto.

4. Add a little dash of salt, and blitz for about a minute.

5. Transfer the puree into a fine mesh sieve and use a rubber spatula to press the oil down into a bowl. What’s left behind is a fragrant mash of ramp leaves with some traces of oil. This can be saved / frozen / and incorporated into countless other dishes. For now, you’re focusing on just the extracted oil that comes out of the sieve.

6. Transfer the oil into a container, ideally a squeeze bottle with cap. It’s ready to go. Store in the refrigerator.

The Dough

For the pizza dough I have been very happy using a Ken Forkish recipe from Flour Water Salt Yeast for an overnight dough with levain. It’s one of the few recipes that I have decided not to mess with as it always yields great results.

The Assembly & Finishing

1. Stretch your dough and drizzle first with a little bit of olive oil.

2. Layer on your shredded mozzarella cheese.

3. Now evenly distribute the sauteed morels.

4. Using a spoon, dollop on the fresh ricotta evenly across the pie.

5. Bake your pizza. I use a wood fired Ooni Pro but use whatever works for you.

6. Drizzle on a generous amount of ramp oil.

7. Drizzle on a swirl of honey.

8. Top with fresh mint and wild violet flowers.

9. Enjoy!

Venison + Ramp Sausage with Creamy Polenta

We made it through another week. Tomorrow might be one of those days filled with dread and anxiety, but right now is filled with the simple comfort of a big plate of creamy polenta, venison + ramp sausage, and a fried farm egg. This dish transports me back to the table with my parents and grandparents and hits on all the nostalgic notes that you could ask for. Video of the process is below.

The Sausage

I use about 40% pork fat to mix with the ground venison in this recipe.

2.8 lbs freshly ground venison

1.1 lbs ground pork fat

10 grams dehydrated ramp powder (recipe can be found here)

Dried chili flakes to taste

15 grams salt

2 tsp fennel seeds

15 grams brown sugar

Natural hog casings

Instructions

1. Mix together, by hand, all of your filling ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Carefully slide the sausage casing up onto the stuffing tube. Insert whatever joke you want here. Leave the end untied to allow air to pass through. You’ll tie it off at the end.

3. On the slowest setting, carefully feed the sausage mixture down into the hopper. You’ll want to work slow and steady, and pause whenever you have any complications. The goal is to have a uniform filling all the way through the casing, without it being packed too tight where the casing will break apart or burst. If you’re attempting this recipe, you’ll likely have made your own sausages before.

4. When you’ve finished stuffing your sausage now it’s time to tie your links. I typically will make small batches, so I’ll tie each link individually, gently applying pressure with my fingers where I want there to be a break, and then twisting it around to create a nice clean break between links. There are much more elegant and efficient ways to do this and lots of great Youtube videos from professional butchers who can help visualize this process.

5. Heat up some olive oil in a skillet and brown the sausage on all sides. Transfer the sausage to a pot of simmering red sauce to continue cooking for another 20 minutes. My classic red sauce recipe can be found here.

Creamy Polenta

1 cup coarse cornmeal

1/2 stick Butter

1 cup cubed provolone cheese

1 cup whole milk

2 - 3 cups chicken stock

Salt

Instructions

1. Bring 1 cup of milk and 2 cups of stock to a simmer and add the cornmeal.

2. You’ll need to constantly stir the polenta to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

3. Add in the butter and cubed provolone and keep stirring until it melts. Add salt to taste.

4. If it starts to feel a little too thick, add some reserved stock to thin it out. Keep adding more stock to maintain the right creamy texture. In total it will take about 30 minutes start to finish.

Spring Wintercress Frittata

This frittata is built around wild wintercress (Barbarea vulgaris) which you can find during early spring in the Northeast. Wintercress is a wild green in the brassacacea family, and when harvested at this stage it is very reminiscent of broccoli rabe. Its other common name is bittercress because as the name suggests it can be very bitter raw. When blanched it takes on a more mild flavor profile and is perfect as a central ingredient to a frittata. Video of the process below.

The other two greens are wild alliums. A handful of ramp leaves (Allium tricoccum) and finely diced field garlic (Allium vineale) as a garnish. Whenever I’m writing a recipe involving ramps I have to do my obligatory reminder to not harvest the bulbs. It take seven years for ramps to reach maturity. Leaving the bulbs in the ground helps maintain healthy populations. Ramps have been totally devastated in many parts of the country.

Ingredients

Tender wintercress florets
Field garlic
Ramp leaves
Eggs
Shredded mozzarella and fontina
Butter
Sour cream

Instructions

1. Separate and reserve the tender tips of the wintercress from the tougher sections of the stem. Blanch for 1-2 minutes in simmering water. Run under cold water and drain. Set aside. Set oven to 375F.

2. Scramble the eggs in a medium sized bowl and set aside. For an 8” skillet I used 8 eggs.

3. In a cast iron skillet or oven proof pan, melt a generous amount of butter. Add the ramp leaves and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add in the blanched wintercress and season with salt and pepper.

4. Pour in the eggs to cover the greens.

5. Cover the entire surface with the shredded cheese.

6. Transfer to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes until the top is puffy, and starting to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. It will lose a little height as it cools.

7. Spoon in a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle the diced forks garlic all over the top. Cut into wedges and enjoy.

Mock Horseradish Sauce with Invasive Garlic Mustard

Experimenting with using invasive garlic mustard and I’m pretty in love with this mock horseradish cream sauce using garlic mustard root, white vinegar, dehydrated ramp powder, and sour cream. While not quite as spicy as true horseradish, it delivers on everything else and goes perfectly with venison or other red meat. The ongoing covid situation is just one more reason to avoid grocery stores and to think outside the box. Video of the process below.

Ingredients

Garlic Mustard Root

White Vinegar

Dehydrated Ramp Powder

Sour cream

Instructions

I recommend focusing on the larger roots as you’ll have difficulty peeling the smaller sections. This is invasive, and aggressive so there is plenty to go around.

Clean and peel the roots and chop into small sized pieces that will fit into your food processor. Blitz on high until the roots are fully grated. Slowly add in white vinegar and blitz again until there is a nice consistency. Not too thin. It should look like the jarred horseradish you might buy in the store.

Now mix into a bowl of sour cream and taste to mix to your liking. Sprinkle on ramp powder and stir together. Taste again and adjust to your liking. You can add a dash of salt here, a step I would skip if you’re using this as a sauce for a well seasoned piece of meat.

The recipe for the dehydrated ramp powder can be found here.

Seasonal Spring Sea of Green Pie with Ramp Dust

I drew some inspiration from @danieleuditi at @pizzana with his use of dehydrated basil. This time of year in the northeast, ramps (allium tricoccum) are in their full glory. If you know where to look, you'll find vast hillsides of vibrant green ramps. I wanted to make a seasonal pie that pays tribute to this incredible woodland ingredient. I harvested just the tender leaves of the plant, leaving the bulbs in the ground, and made a dehydrated ramp dust that is central to this pie. The powder retains the most amazing deep green color so we decided to call it the Sea of Green. Fired in my @oonihq Pro. Video of the whole process below.

Just a reminder to harvest ramps responsibly. Don't yank the bulbs or harvest more than you need! It takes seven years for ramps to reach maturity from seed.

Once you have your fresh ramps, I like to trim the stems off so you’re only drying the green leafy section of the plant. The stems are great as a pickled condiment, which can get eaten as is or processed into salad dressing. Any of your favorite pickling recipes will be great for the stems.

Place the leaves in the dehydrator and it should take about 2 - 3 hours until the leaves are fully dry. When done, they should be brittle and break apart in your fingertips.

In a bowl, crush the leaves with your hands to break them down to a smaller size. You can use a mortar and pestle to break down further or just skip ahead and blitz everything in a spice grinder to create a fine powder. You’ll be left with an amazing green colored dust that you can store by itself or mix it 50/50 with salt to make ramp salt. The raw ramp dust is extremely versatile and can be used to spice meat, vegetables, fused into sauces, etc.  I keep a jar of it in my spice cabinet and I store the rest in the freezer for future use. Like any spices, it will lose its potency over time.

For the pizza I have been very happy using a Ken Forkish recipe from Flour Water Salt Yeast for an overnight dough with levain. It’s one of the few recipes that I have decided not to mess with as it always yields great results.

The foundation of the pizza is a plain pie, with a parmesan laden red sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. The pie comes to life with a generous dusting of the ramp dust all over the top of the pie, followed by fresh basil leaves. It’s subtle and delicious.

Pan Fried Gnocchi with Ramp Pesto

It’s still a bit early in the season so most ramps are too young to harvest. With a little effort we found a more mature patch along a sunny south eastern facing ridge. We harvested just enough leaves for a small batch of pesto and left the bulbs in the ground. For the pesto I kept it super simple. Ramps, pistachios, olive oil, and salt blitz in the food processor and served on top of pan fried gnocchi (in lots of butter) and some freshly grated Parmesan and ground pepper. It’s a once a year kind of meal. 

If harvesting ramps, don’t yank the bulbs, don’t raze entire hillsides, don’t take more than you need. They take seven years to reach maturity.

Video of the process below.

Gnocchi Ingredients

2½ pounds russet potatoes (about 4 large)

1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 egg

Butter 

Instructions

1. Boil potatoes for 35 - 45 minutes until fork tender.

2. Drain and allow to cool so you can handle them but they need to still be warm for the next step. If allowed to cool they’ll become gummy.

3. Peel the potatoes with your fingers or by using the edge of a spoon. Cut up the potatoes into small chunks.

4. Press all of the warm potatoes through a potato ricer into a large bowl. 

5. Sprinkle on the flour and salt, and work together with your hands for about 30 seconds. Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in the egg, which should already be beaten. 

6. Mix together with your hands for another 30 seconds. 

7. Pour out the contents of the bowl onto a well dusted work surface and continue to knead together for another 1 - 2 minutes. An important note is to not overwork this dough. The more you work it, the denser the gnocchi will be. 

8. Divide the dough into about 4 - 6 different balls and dust each with more flour. 

9. Begin rolling each ball out with your hands to create a long rope of rough about ¾ inch thick. Use more flour if it feels like the dough is sticky. And again, don’t overwork!

10. Using a knife or bench knife, cut each rope into approximately 1 inch pieces. 

11. You could stop here, and transfer them to a tray dusted with semolina to prevent sticking. 

12. Or you can continue with embellishing them a bit by using the tines of a fork to create the classic dimples and grooves you might often see. Carefully take each individual piece in your fingers, and with your other hand press the tip of your fork into the center of the gnocchi, and roll it gently to form the grooves. Now you can set it into your tray with semolina until ready to cook.

13. Bring a big pot of water to boil. Cook the gnocchi for about 4 minutes until they float to the surface. Drain the gnocchi. 

14. In a heavy skillet, melt butter and bring up to medium/high heat. 

15. Transfer the boiled gnocchi into the hot pan and allow to crisp for about 3 minutes on each side. They’ll start to turn golden brown and form a nice texture on the shell, while the interior stays light and fluffy.

16. Now toss the pan fried gnocchi with the pesto. Plate each portion and top generously with freshly grated parmesan and black pepper.

Pesto Ingredients

¼ cup of pistachios

½ cup olive oil

Sprinkle of salt

Two handfuls of washed ramp leaves

Grated parmesan (optional)

Instructions

1. Shell the pistachios and blitz in the blender

2. Add all of the other ingredients and blend until smooth 

3. Add more olive oil if pesto is too thick

Chicken & Eggs: Wild Mushroom Carbonara

After almost giving up on a morning mushroom foray, I stumbled into a beautiful specimen of Chicken of the Woods on my way back to the car.

After deliberating about how best to prepare it, I came up with the idea of a wild mushroom carbonara using the COTW instead of traditional guanciale. It’s not quite the same thing as real carbonara but it was a fun way to use the wild ingredient and is a solid vegetarian option. In the absence of the rendered pork fat I used a generous amount of olive oil to lubricate the pasta. Below is a video of the process, which details how to make a homemade semolina spaghetti, the creamy sauce, and the preparation of the mushrooms.

The Spring Fling Pie: Seasonal Toppings from Garden and Forest

Before we hit our stride in mid to late summer I started to brainstorm what kind of pizza to make with early season ingredients. What started off as a late spring garden pie took on a new form after a successful day foraging for spring mushrooms.

Tatsoi greens, Egyptian Walking Onions, wild Crown Tipped Coral and Chicken of the Woods mushrooms, sweet and sour chive blossoms, tatsoi blossoms and a blend of mozzarella, fontina, and provolone cheese all on a sourdough crust - wood fired with the Ooni Pro.

Perfect specimen of Laetiporus Sulphureus.

Spring Ramps Pizza

I stumbled into a patch of young ramps on an early morning turkey scout and the menu suddenly changed for the evening’s pizza party. Video below.

I’ve been really happy using the naturally leavened pizza dough recipe from the Ken Forkish book Flour Water Salt Yeast.