Potage Experiment No. 1

As I wandered through the vegetable purveyor this morning, I spied bunches of asparagus. They weren't the most perfect specimens, but "Mmmmmmm," I thought, "asparagus...."

So, I concocted this simple potage, which won raves from a friend who stopped by for lunch:

Potato, Parsnip, Onion, & Asparagus Soup

1 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large Idaho russet potato, peeled and chopped
1 large parsnip, peeled and chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1 bunch of asparagus (about 1 lb.), washed, trimmed, and cut into about 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup whole milk (cream would be better...but I was trying to be healthy)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large pot, sauté the onion in the butter until the onion begins to soften. Add the parsnip and potato, sauté for a minute or two, then add the stock, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes (or until the vegetables are tender). Add the asparagus and cook for another 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the stalks (the thicker they are, the longer you'll need to cook them). Purée the soup with an immersion blender, regular blender, or whatever you have that'll work. Stir in milk or cream, then salt and pepper to taste.

Ramping Up

Tony & I went to the Union Square farmer's market on Wednesday, and we each bought a bunch of ramps, or "wild leeks." I've been hearing about them for a few seasons now--in that kind of hipster annoying way--but I thought I'd give them a try anyway... As I walked home, their smell reminded me of the little garlicky plants kids would bring to school when we were little (I'm really not sure why, but they'd chew them, stink up the room, and eventually get in trouble). With that memory, I decided ramps were OK by me.

I did a little research and decided to attempt a version of Tony's potato pancakes that he's been dishing up lately. I grabbed my cast iron skillet and warmed up some olive oil. I tossed in the thinly sliced bulbs and red stalks of six ramps and sautéed them for about 30 seconds. I added two julienned Idaho potatoes and the sliced ramp greens, some salt, and freshly ground black pepper. I tossed everything together, formed a giant potato pancake, and then cooked until one side began to brown. Alas...my pancake flip to side two didn't work...so I ended up with chunks of nicely browned potatoes...oops!

The result was tasty nonetheless--flavorful with a hint of garlicky aroma (but without the bite). Ramps have now received the official VendrediFriday seal of approval.