Down to Earth Farmers Markets | Cross River Realtor

Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s party!”
– Robin Williams

And our first guest has arrived. This week, Tom Warren of Stone & Thistle Farm wrote in with the news that he’ll have ramps at our farmers markets this weekend. It will be the first time in 2014.
After a long, frigid winter, the Earth is opening back up.

Ramps are a part of the onion plant family and are also known as “wild leeks”. According to Deborah Madison in Vegetable Literacy, “they like moist, sandy soils, preferably near a stream.”
Lucky for us in the Northeast, we’ve got quite a bit of this landscape. Ramps usher in our spring. As they set the table, shortly the other guests will arrive: asparagus, nettles, fiddleheads, and garlic scapes. In most cases, these are foods from the wild. Our farmers markets are stocked by Mother Nature, as local growers and foragers bring what is available from around here, at this time.

When we eat seasonally, we get to connect with nature’s rhythm — to cherish its limited editions. We say this not in an overly precious way, but rather to celebrate what we are all given by nature. The first foods of spring are full of vibrant colors and tastes that will only be here for a short while. And that’s reason to party.

Ramp Aioli
by Stone & Thistle Farm

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 egg yolk from pastured hens
1/2 cup olive oil
6 ramps, whites only (reserve greens for another use – perhaps diced into scrambled eggs)
Minced Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

​Whisk together the juice, cayenne pepper, and yolk in a mixing bowl. While whisking, slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup oil until sauce is emulsified; stir in ramps. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside. Enjoy.

Note: The wild foods, such as ramps, offered at Down to Earth Farmers Markets are thoughtfully foraged. In the name of a good thing, the foods are collected in a way that ensures future harvests. If you have any questions about the process, ask your favorite vendor.