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 Legend goes it was originally made with 33 layers of dough to celebrate each year of Jesus' life, but 4 layers works just fine.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. 

Pan Fried Stinging Nettle Gnocchi with Ramp Leaf Cream

There's an indescribable joy of witnessing the arrival of the spring ephemerals - crawling around in hidden corners, being velcroed to pricker bushes, and returning to the kitchen to scheme up something new. This one is really quite simple - delivering spring in all its fleeting glory. I hope you enjoy the video below as much as I enjoyed making it.

Ramps are one of those foods hotly debated in wild food circles. When purchasing, it's always good to be mindful of how they are being harvested as it's a slow growing plant that has been overharvested from its native ranges. Consider only harvesting the leaf, leaving the bulb intact - allowing the colonies to continue to grow back.

Ramp Leaf Cream Sauce

Ingredients

1 pint heavy cream

1 bunch of fresh ramp leaves (approx 8 leaves)

1/2 cup grated pecorino romano

3 tbsp butter

salt to taste

Directions

1. In a food processor, blitz together the ramp leaves and half of the heavy cream.

2. Transfer to a sauce pan and bring to medium heat.

3. When it comes to a simmer, add in the rest of the cream and bring back to a rolling simmer for about 5 minutes.

4. Add in the grated pecorino and butter and stir together.

5. Simmer on low for another 15 minutes, constantly stirring, as the sauce begins to thicken.

6. Remove from the heat and press through a fine mesh sieve. The resulting sauce is super silky, creamy, and delicious.

7. Keep on low heat until ready to serve.

Stinging Nettle Gnocchi

Ingredients
2 lbs russet potatoes

2 cups of flour (plus more for dusting)

5 oz stinging nettles (blanched, de-stemmed, blitz)

2 eggs (beaten)salt to taste

*makes about 6 portions

Directions
1. The nettles need to be handled carefully to avoid experiencing their stinging effect. Use tongs to transfer the nettles to a big pot of boiling water. Blanch for 45 seconds and immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water. After cool, you can now handle them. Remove any larger stems and run through a food processor until they form a crumbly paste.

2. Wrap the potatoes in foil and bake at 400F for about 1 hour or until fork tender. After they've cooled for about 5 minutes, but while they are still warm/hot, peel off the skins.

3. Using a potato ricer, press each potato out into a large bowl.

4. Add in all the remaining ingredients and use your hands to work everything together so that the nettles are evenly incorporated throughout. If the dough is feeling a bit sticky you can gradually add a little more flour until it isn't so sticky. Overworking the dough can result in gummy gnocchi. Kneading shouldn't take more than a few minutes.

5. Dump the dough onto a well floured work surface and cover with a towel.

6. Rip off a handful of dough and begin rolling the 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. Don’t overwork!

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

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

9. 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. If not cooking until much later they should be frozen immediately after making them.

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

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

12. 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.

13. Transfer each portion of gnocchi to a bowl and drizzle on the cream sauce and finish with some black pepper and freshly grated parmesan.

Wild Mushroom Lasagna with Black Trumpet Bescamel

A wild summer mushroom lasagna with a black trumpet bechamel. The foundation of the recipe was heavily inspired by Evan Funke ‘s American Sfoglino which is a great book for anyone obsessed with pasta. This was decadent yet subtle - nothing beats a big fat corner of lasagna with crispy edges. Full recipe below along with a detailed video of the process.

The Pasta

Ingredients

454 g 00 Flour

258 g eggs (beaten before mixing)

*makes roughly 5 layers of 9 x 13 inch pasta. Four of those layers can be cut exactly to the size of your pan, and with the scraps you can assemble the 5th layer.

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, cut it in half (resulting in 1/4 the amount of the original dough ball. Wrap the other half while you roll your first sheet. Place the cut piece of pasta dough 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 - creating the general shape of the pan you’ll be baking the lasagna in. 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. Cut the sfoglia into 9 x 13 inch pieces, saving the scraps to assemble another layer of the lasagna. Allow the dough to air dry while you gather all the other ingredients - ready to assemble the layers into your baking tray.

9. Blanch each sheet of pasta in boiling salted water for about 30 - 45 seconds each.

10. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain excess water, and layer right into the baking pan.

The Mushrooms

Ingredients

2 lbs of fresh chanterelles

3 shallots (finely chopped)

4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)

Fresh thyme

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Clean the mushrooms of any debris and slice into thin pieces. Set aside.

2. Bring a skillet up to medium heat and saute the finely diced shallots in olive oil until translucent.

3. Add the finely diced garlic and thyme and saute for another few minutes.

4. Add the chanterelles and cook them down for about ten minutes until they significantly reduce in size and begin to brown.

5. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool down.

The Black Trumpet Bescamel

Ingredients

15 g dried black trumpets (blitz into a fine powder)

8 tbsp butter

1 cup 00 flour

5 cups or 236 grams of whole milk

A pinch of grated nutmeg

Salt

Directions

1. Bring a heavy duty skillet up to medium heat.

2. Melt the butter in the pan.

3. Slowly add the flour into the butter and whisk constantly. The trick with bescamel is patience, being slow and steady to incorporate the ingredients gradually to avoid it being lumpy.

4. Continue adding all the flour to the butter and the mixture will start to become crumbly and fragrant as it browns/toasts in the pan. Keep whisking the mixture for about 5 minutes before adding the milk in little by little - constantly whisking to incorporate. The milk will begin to loosen the crumbly mixture and after a few minutes of stirring it will appear silky. Add a little more milk if it feels too thick.

5. Season with salt, and a pinch of grated nutmeg, and add the black trumpet powder.

6. Continue to stir on low heat for another few minutes.

7. Remove from the heat and allow to cool down before using it in the lasagna.

The Lasagna

Ingredients

The pasta sheets

The sauteed mushroom mixture

The black trumpet bescamel

Grated pecorino romano or parmesan

Fresh basil for garnish

Directions

1. On the bottom of your baking pan, spoon in a layer of bescamel and coat the pan evenly.

2. Add your first sheet of blanched pasta dough.

3. Add an even layer of the cooked mushrooms, spread evenly across the surface.

4. Spoon on another layer of bescamel, followed by a generous sprinkling of grated cheese.

5. Lay in another sheet of pasta and repeat the process until you have no more left. This recipe will yield about 5 sheets that are 9 x 13 inches. The thicker you make your pasta, the less surface area you’ll get. Be sure to save all your scraps of pasta as you cut them down to size - to reassemble them to create another layer of pasta.

6. Bake (covered) for 30 minutes at 375F.

7. Remove the cover, and bake for another 30 minutes uncovered.

8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down for at least ten minutes.

9. The steaming pasta will start to settle and firm up as it cools.

10. Cut into pieces and garnish with more freshly grated cheese and fresh basil.

Black Trumpet Ravioli with Sage Cream Sauce

Black trumpet ravioli filled with sautéed black trumpets & shallots, parsley, lemon zest, and fresh ricotta served with a creamy sage butter sauce and cracked black pepper. Simple and decadent, meant to showcase one of the most unique wild mushrooms available this time of year. The smell of fresh trumpets are hard to define; earthy, floral, almost intoxicating. I always enjoy thinking of new ways to cook with them. A short video of the process is below.

The Filling

Ingredients:

Fresh black trumpet mushrooms (about 2 cups)

Ricotta (2 cups drained of excess liquid)

2-3 Shallots (finely minced)

Zest of 1 lemon

Parsley (handful)

Olive oil

Directions:

1. Bring a skillet to medium heat and add a few tablespoons of olive oil.

2. Add the shallots and saute for about 5 minutes until softened and golden, constantly stirring.

3. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook down for another 5 minutes until well incorporated.

4. Season with a little salt and pepper.

5. Remove from the skillet and set aside to cool.

6. In a food processor, add the mushroom/shallot mix and parsley and pulse a few times for a a few seconds. The result should be a mix that is finely chopped (NOT completely blitzed into a puree).

7. Remove from the processor and mix together with the ricotta and lemon zest.

8. Season with salt to taste.

9. Cover and set aside (in refrigerator) until ready to fill the ravioli.

The Pasta

Ingredients

454 g 00 Flour

258 g eggs (beaten before mixing)

1 extra egg (beaten for sealing)

*Portioned for 5 - 6 people

Directions

1. Dump the weighed flour 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.

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. Roll it, applying pressure, into the work surface. Fold it. Roll it again. After about ten minutes it should be a 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 pasta attachment on a Kitchenaid - but you could also do this by hand with a rolling pin. Remove one of the dough balls, unwrap, and cut off a portion of the dough. Lightly flour and cover the rest back with plastic. Press gently and form a rectangle.

8. Pass the dough through the sheet pasta attachment at it’s widest setting. If it feels sticky, add a little more flour. Gradually tighten the settings of the pasta attachment, one click at a time, and pass the pasta sheet through until it is light and delicate. For ravioli, I normally go to the 6th setting.

9. Cut off any irregular ends and you should be left with a long sheet of sfoglia that is about 5-6 inches thick.

10. My method is best visualized in the video below - and this is only one way to do it. There are many other much more skilled pasta makers out there who likely would recommend doing it another way - but this was my approach. This method involves folding the sheet of dough over on to itself vs using two different sheets stacked on top of each other.

11. Using a spoon and your finger tips, carefully place a dollop of filling about the size of the tip of your pinky - in one corner of the sfoglia. Leave about a half to 3/4 inch of space on either side to the edge. Continue placing the dollops of filling along one entire side of the rectangle.

12. Brush on a light coating of egg wash around the filling and along the edge of the sfoglia.

13. Carefully fold over the exposed half of the sfoglia onto the other half, covering the filling. Use your fingers to gently press down around the mounds of filling, pushing out any air pockets to the other edge. Work intentionally to eliminate any remaining air pockets.

14. Using a scalloped pasta cutter - trim off the outer edges - but leaving the folded edge in tact.

15. Now cut between each individual ravioli with the cutter until you have none left.

16. Gently dust with semolina, and transfer to a pan with semolina sprinkled on the bottom to avoid sticking. Allow to air dry for about 10 minutes and transfer to the refrigerator until ready to cook.

17. Repeat the process until you have no more dough or no more filling left.

The Sauce & Final Dish

Ingredients:

1 Cup heavy cream

3 tbsp butter

1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano

1 tbsp very finely minced sage

Pasta water as necessary

Directions:

1. You should make the sauce right before you drop the ravioli into the boiling water. This step only takes a few minutes and you don’t want the sauce sitting around.

2. Melt the butter in a skillet on medium heat.

3. Add the finely minced sage and stir into the butter, cooking for a minute or two.

4. Add the heavy cream and continue to stir so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.

5. Add the grated pecorino Romano and continue to stir as the sauce begins to thicken.

6. Add pasta water to adjust the consistency of the sauce, a few tablespoons at a time. This will also help make the sauce more silky.

7. Add the ravioli to salted boiling water. The fresh pasta will only take about 3-4 minutes to cook. Continue simmering your sauce.

8. Remove the sauce from the heat and add the cooked/drained ravioli directly to the pan. Using a large spoon, stir together, completely coating all of the ravioli with sauce.

9. Plate each serving and finish with a sprinkle of more freshly grated pecorino and fresh cracked black pepper.

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 Violet Donuts

I've been waiting for the right moment to do these wild violet sourdoughnuts. Viola sororia, known as the common blue violet, is pretty much everywhere you look right now, from the backyard to the deep woods. The flowers and leaves of this ephemeral native flower are edible and delicious. When the petals are infused with hot water it creates a vibrant hue that ranges from blue to violet. The infusion is pH sensitive and will react differently depending on how acidic or alkali the water is and can be manipulated with a drop or two of lemon juice. I made a glaze with the violet infusion which has a nice subtle floral taste and I topped them off with granulated violet sugar to give it a little texture. These were delicate, delicious and the process is incredibly fun. Video of the whole process below.

The Violet Syrup

Ingredients:

1:1:1 ratio of …

Wild violet flowers (stems removed)

Water (distilled)*

White granulated sugar

*The violet infusion is reactive to pH levels of the water. When using distilled water, the infusion will be a bright blue color. This can be manipulated by adding a few drops of lemon juice, which turns the infusion a vibrant purple/pink. But once you add the lemon, it will begin to overpower the subtle flavor of the violets.

Directions:

1. Bring the water to a near boil.

2. Mix together the hot water and violet flowers in a glass jar, stir, and allow to steep for 24 hrs. The color will gradually deepen.

3. Strain the flowers out using a fine mesh after 24 hrs.

4. Bring the infused mixture to a very low simmer and add an equal portion of white granulated sugar. Simmer on low for about ten minutes until the syrup begins to thicken. You may notice a color shift at this stage with the introduction of the sugar.

5. Allow to cool and store in the refrigerator until use. Will last for several months.

The Violet Sugar

Ingredients:

1:1 ratio of…

White granulated sugar

Wild violet flowers (stems removed)

Directions:

1. In a food processor blend together the sugar and flowers until it turns into a nice even purple sugar.

2. Because of the moisture in the flowers, it is best to use this sugar fresh or within a few days. Over time it will lose it’s vibrant color and will lump together in a way that becomes difficult to sprinkle.

Ingredients

230 g Manitoba 0 Flour (or similar)

25 g Whole Wheat Tumminia Flour (or similar)

40 g water

40 g sugar

50 g butter (cubed)

90 g eggs (approx 2 medium sized)

5 g salt

110 g active sourdough starter

1 tsp vanilla

Approx gallon neutral oil

*makes approximately 6 - 8 donuts depending on size

The recipe is spread out over three days and in my opinion is well worth the wait. The natural leavening always yields a tastier end result. I normally start my process around 12pm on day 1 which results in fresh donuts for breakfast two days later.

The Dough

Directions:

1. 12 pm Day 1 - In a stand mixer, combine all your ingredients and mix for about 10 minutes.

2. This is very similar to a brioche dough, so at first it will feel quite sticky to the touch, even after ten minutes of mixing.

3. Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover.

4. Over the next 5-6 hours you’ll want to fold the dough with your hands 4 times. Let the dough relax for at least 30 minutes in between each fold. By the fourth fold the dough will feel a lot less sticky and will be smoother to the touch. Avoid the urge to add flour if you find it is too sticky.

5. 6pm Day 1 - Transfer the covered bowl to the refrigerator and forget about it for 24 hrs.

6. 6pm Day 2 - Remove dough from the refrigerator and allow to relax for about 30 minutes. Do one more round of folding and set out at room temperature overnight.

7. 7am Day 3 - Gently flour your work surface and dump out the dough.

8. Bring your neutral oil up to 350F.

9. Use your hands to spread it out evenly. Use a rolling pin to gently roll out the dough to approximately 3/4 inch thickness. Do not press down too hard as you want to keep rise to the dough.

10. Using a circular cookie cutter approx 4” in diameter, punch out as many donuts as possible. Save the scraps for maltagliate - ugly leftover shapes of dough that shouldn’t go to waste!

11. Use another circular punch about 1/2” in diameter to punch out the holes in the center of each donut. Gently use your fingers to stretch it out ever so slightly.

12. Drop each circular dough into the oil and fry for about 3 minutes each side until golden brown.

13. Remove from the oil and set onto a rack or paper towels to dry off and cool slightly.

The Finished Donut

Ingredients:

1 cup Confectioner’s sugar

Wild violet syrup

Wild violet sugar

Flowers for garnish

Directions:

1. Prepare the violet glaze by mixing together about a cup of confectioner’s sugar with 1/4 cup of the wild violet syrup. Adjust accordingly so that the glaze is nice and thick, so it sticks to the donuts. Add more syrup if too thich, and add more confectioner sugar if too thin. *In a subsequent version of this I added blended flowers to the glaze which gave it nice flecks of purple color.

2. Once the donuts have cooled sufficiently, dip each one in the bowl of glaze and set onto a tray.

3. Sprinkle the violet sugar on top while the glaze is still wet so it sticks and binds together as the glaze hardens over the next few minutes.

4. Add a few wild violet flowers for garnish.

5. 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.

Black Trumpet Cappellacci dei briganti

Cappellacci dei Briganti, a pasta shape which imitates the hats worn by 19th century guerrilla fighters known as brigands. These self-declared soldiers formed rebel militias and roamed the hills of Southern Italy at the time of the Risorgimento or the unification of Italy. This style of pasta originated in Molise and is typically served with a lamb ragu. When brainstorming pasta dishes that feature foraged wild mushrooms I couldn't help make the connection between the shape of the pasta with black trumpets. I've been wanting to make these since last summer and finally got myself sorted out to make it happen. The pasta dough incorporates a small percentage of dried black trumpet powder to give them their distinct color. The final flavor of the mushrooms is rather subtle as it competes with the hearty lamb ragu but it adds a nice earthy subtext to the dish. It was perfect for a cold winter night with a good glass of red wine in hand and the kids shipped off to Nonna's house. Video of the process below. It’s a lot easier than it looks.

Black Trumpet Cappellacci dei briganti

Ingredients

430 g 00 Flour

20 g dehydrated wild mushroom powder

250 g eggs (beaten before mixing)

*Portioned for 5 - 6 people

Tools:

Circular cookie cutter, conical metal pastry tip (see photos/video for sizing)

Directions

1. Using a spice grinder (or similar) blitz your dried mushrooms into a very fine powder. Here I’m using black trumpets but you could easily substitute with any other edible wild mushroom.

2. Mix together the mushroom powder and flour into a bowl, and dump out onto your clean work surface.

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

4. 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.

5. 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.

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

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

8. The following step revolve around using a pasta attachment on a Kitchenaid - but you could also do this by hand with a rolling pin. Remove one of the dough balls, unwrap, and cut off a portion of the dough. Lightly flour and cover the rest back with plastic. Press gently and form a rectangle.

9. Pass the dough through the sheet pasta attachment at it’s widest setting. If it feels sticky, add a little more flour. Gradually tighten the settings of the pasta attachment, one click at a time, and pass the pasta sheet through until it is light and delicate. I normally go to the 6th setting.

10. Allow the sheet of dough (sfoglia) to dry for 2-3 minutes. Use the circle cookie cutter and punch out as many circles as you can on each sheet of pasta dough. Save the scraps for maltagliati.

11. The next steps become much easier with a visual reference. I have provided a diagram below and the video helps to show the process. Again, it’s easier than you think. Using your metal pastry tip cone, place the large side in the center of one of the pasta circles. The dough should NOT be sticky. You don’t want it to stick to cone.

12. Fold the sides of the circle over the cone, and gently press them together with your thumb.

13. Using your other hand, carefully fold down the top of the cone to form what we’ll call the brim of the hat. The metal cone should be concealed inside the shape of the pasta.

14. Carefully slide the cone out, continuing to press gently at the seem. Flip upside down and allow to air dry for about 15 - 20 minutes before covering and setting into the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook. Repeat the process until you have no dough left. It moves quickly once you find your rhythm.

15. Cook right away of store in the fridge covered with a towel for up to a day.

Lamb Ragu

Ingredients:

1 lamb shoulder (broken down, trimmed, cut into 1 inch cubes)

1 onion (finely diced)

4 cloves garlic (minced)

½ cup celery (finely diced)

½ cup carrots (finely diced)

8 oz tomato paste

32 oz canned tomatoes (crushed) 

1 cup red wine

2 cups hot broth

2 tbsp fresh sage (finely minced)

2 tbsp fresh thyme (finely minced)

3-4 bay leaves

Directions:

Break down the rabbit into 6 pieces. Hind legs, forelegs, and split the body into two. Season with salt and pepper. 

1. Brown the meat on all sides in a deep pot. The less oil the better for getting a nice brown crust. Set aside. 

2.  Add the garlic, onions, celery, carrots and herbs and cook on medium/low for a few minutes until softened.

3. Add the tomato paste, a little olive oil, and mix together until well incorporated.

4. Pour in your red wine and simmer down for another few minutes. Use a wood spoon to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.

5. Add tomatoes and bring up to a low simmer. Add about a half a cup of broth and stir.

6. Add the lamb back into the pot, partially cover, and simmer for 1.5 hours - turning the meat every 15 minutes and stirring the sauce so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. If the sauce feels like it’s getting too thick add a little more hot broth to thin it out.

7. It normally takes me about 5 hours until the meat starts to shred and fall apart. This is how you want the ragu, without any big chunks of meat.  

8. Shred the meat from the bones and pull apart into small pieces. Add the shredded meat back into the ragu and stir together. 

9. Transfer a few ladles full into another pan and set on low heat. After your pasta is cooked, toss it with the pan ragu. Plate your pasta, add some more ragu on top. 

10. Top each plate with a generous amount of freshly grated parmesan cheese or pecorino, and some fresh basil. 

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!

Cacio e Pepe with Black Trumpet Tagliatelle

Where you'd normally use tonnarelli I've gone and made a wild mushroom tagliatelle using black trumpet powder. Otherwise, I followed the rules of a traditional Cacio e Pepe - keeping it simple and limited to minimal ingredients; lots of cracked black pepper, sheep’s milk pecorino romano, a little olive oil, pasta water and some basil mostly just for show. When competing with lots of black pepper, the wild mushroom umami flavor is subtle but adds a nice layer to an otherwise simple simple dish. The color and texture of the noodles are beautiful and I’m looking forward to testing it out with other pasta dishes. A video of the whole process is below.

Black Trumpet Tagliatelle

Ingredients

430 g 00 Flour

20 g dehydrated wild mushroom powder

250 g eggs (beaten before mixing)

*Portioned for 5 - 6 people

Directions

1. Using a spice grinder (or similar) blitz your dried mushrooms into a very fine powder. Here I’m using black trumpets but you could easily substitute with any other edible wild mushroom.

2. Mix together the mushroom powder and flour into a bowl, and dump out onto your clean work surface.

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

4. 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.

5. 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.

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

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

8. The following steps revolve around using a pasta attachment on a Kitchenaid - but you could also do this by hand with a rolling pin. Remove one of the dough balls, unwrap, and cut off a portion of the dough. Lightly flour and cover the rest back with plastic. Press gently and form a rectangle.

9. Pass the dough through the sheet pasta attachment at it’s widest setting. If it feels sticky, add a little more flour. Gradually tighten the settings of the pasta attachment, one click at a time, and pass the pasta sheet through until it is light and delicate. For tagliatelle, I normally go to the 6th setting.

10. Allow the sheet of dough (sfoglia) to dry for 2-3 minutes and fold in half. With a knife, trim off irregular edges. Gently fold the dough into about 3 inch folds, over and over until you have a nice compact roll.

11. Using your knife, carefully begin cutting strips of the roll into about 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) pieces. With your fingers, unroll each strip and sprinkle with a light coating of semolina. You can make little nests with each batch that is finished. Repeat until all of your dough has transformed unto tagliatelle.

12. Cook right away of store in the fridge covered with a towel.

Cacio e pepe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Pecorino Romano

1 1/2 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Salt

1.5 cups pasta water

Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add a dash of salt.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add in crushed black pepper. Stir until the pepper becomes very fragrant. Turn off the heat.

3. Boil the fresh pasta.

4. Reserve about 1.5 cups of pasta water as the pasta finishes. The starch from the water is why you wouldn’t just use regular water here.

5. Transfer the cooked pasta into the skillet with pepper and oil. Toss until all of the noodles are coated.

6. Add about a cup of pasta water to the noodles and stir. This may feel like a lot but it will all come together when you…

7. Add all of the freshly grated Pecorino to the pasta, and stir very well until the cheese and water form a luxurious creamy coating all over the noodles. Add more pasta water as necessary.

8. Divide the pasta into individual plates and sprinkle on a little more fresh Pecorino. Garnish with basil is optional.

Black Trumpet Pizza "The Dark Side"

One of my goals for the summer was to find Black Trumpets, also called Horn of Plenty or Trumpets of Death. They are elusive to find and have a smell and flavor that is almost impossible to describe. Finally after countless miles walked, I found them. My mind almost always immediately starts thinking about pizza or pasta when cooking with wild mushrooms. I decided I wanted to do a pizza that really highlighted the mushrooms' wild flavors - which ultimately meant keeping it super simple. I left out anything that would distract from it's unique profile, so no garlic, no herbs, no overpowering cheese or spice. I started off with 4 ingredients; fontina, black trumpets, grated pecorino romano, and a high quality olive oil on a sourdough crust fired in a wood oven. After testing it, I added some finely minced chives from the garden and a tiny bit of lemon zest, and it was winning over the mushroom skeptics in the house. Video of the whole process below.

Ingredients:

Black Trumpets (sauteed in olive oil)

Fontina cheese

Grated pecorino romano cheese

Olive oil

Lemon Zest

Chives (finely diced)

Instructions:

The Mushrooms

1. The real heart of this pizza are the black trumpets. For this recipe I used fresh mushrooms but you can swap out with re-hydrated dried trumpets.

2. Saute the mushrooms in olive oil on medium low heat for just about a minute or two. Black trumpets cook very rapidly.

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. Recently I’ve been using Caputo Manitoba flour which has been delivering wonderful results.

The Assembly & Finishing:

1. Stretch your dough.

2. Layer on small cubes of fontina cheese equally across the dough.

3. Sprinkle with a generous portion of grated pecorino.

4. Layer on the cooked mushrooms evenly across the middle of the dough.

5. Sprinkle on more pecorino.

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

7. Once it comes out of the oven, piping hot, drizzle on some high quality olive oil.

8. Sprinkle on finely diced chives.

9. Top with fresh lemon zest.

10. 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.

Tagliatelle with Morels in Cream Sauce

A mind melting delicious plate of tagliatelle and morels in a white wine + cream sauce needed no fancy garnish or embellishment. As the morel season in the northeast winds down, this was pure magic on a plate. If morels are not readily available or in season, any fresh wild mushroom would work nicely. Video of the whole process below.

Morel Cream Sauce

Ingredients

Fresh morel mushrooms

2 -3 finely diced ramp leaves (or cloves of garlic)

1 cup of heavy cream

1/4 cup white wine

Salt and pepper

1/2 stick of butter

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan (plus more for finishing)

Instructions

1. Clean and slice the morels into pinky sized pieces.

2. Bring a skillet to medium heat and melt the butter.

3. Sauté the mushrooms for a few minutes and add the diced ramp leaves. Sauté for another minute.

4. Add the wine and bring up to a simmer so it starts to render down.

5. Continue stirring the mushrooms and slowly add in the heavy cream. Continue stirring and bring back to a simmer.

6. Simmer for another 5 minutes or so, and add more cream (or water) to adjust if necessary.

7. Add the freshly grated parmesan cheese and continue stirring. The sauce should be thickening, creamy, and will start to smell incredible. Season with salt and black pepper after tasting. The parmesan cheese is already quite salty and you don’t want to over salt.

8. The mushrooms should be tender, and completely cooked down. The total time should take about 20 minutes.

9. Transfer your cooked pasta directly into the pan with the cream sauce. Using tongs, roll the pasta around so the sauce complete coats all of the noodles.

10. Garnish each plate with some more freshly ground black pepper and parmesan cheese.

Freshly made tagliatelle is an excellent pair for the cream sauce.

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!

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.

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.

Pani ca' Cori : Deer Heart Sandwich

This was the year that we lost my dad. It was also the year that I harvested my first deer after five years of trying. I grew up watching my dad hunt and was witness to the entire process from the forest, to the barn, and eventually to the dinner plate. He never forced it on me and as I became a teenager I grew disinterested. As an adult my appreciation of it returned along with my unease with concentrated animal feeding lots and the factory farm food system. But ultimately it was also a good excuse to get out in the woods with my dad as two adults even as I began to see his health begin to decline. He couldn’t come out the last two years but I persisted and kept him with me in my thoughts this season. I know he’d be smiling right now. This animal will be appreciated in the fullest sense of the word and I hope to transmit a sense of respect and responsibility that comes with it to my own two boys.

The first meal I wanted to make was a tribute to my dad and his Sicilian origins. Pani ca' Meusa is a Sicilian sandwich traditionally made with stewed organ meats that get cooked over a long period of time in giant pots. It has become one of the most iconic foods in Palermo served at a handful of old school street vendors throughout the city. You’ll find them smothered in freshly grated caciocavallo cheese and served with a squeeze of lemon. The offal is typically spleen and lungs of a cow. Originally this was a sandwich designed for the poor but eventually, like other culinary feats of frugality and ingenuity, it has become widely popularized thanks in part to food fanatics like Palermo Street Food.

For months leading up to this year’s deer hunting season I had been dreaming up different recipes in anticipation. I didn’t want anything to go to waste. What came to me was a spin on the classic Pani ca' Meusa but instead of using the traditional offal I would instead focus the sandwich on the deer heart. The heart was broken down into several beautiful steaks which were marinated with olive oil, garlic, homemade plum vinegar, salt and pepper. I then grilled them quickly on a hot grill and sliced them super thin, smothered them in grated caciocavallo from Jersey Girl Cheese and delivered them on my homemade sesame sourdough rolls. The concept, which I’m calling Pani ca' Cori, is distinctly Sicilian but it takes on new meaning with the notable addition of the deer heart. Video of the whole process below.

My dad in the 80’s.

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.