Chefs love ramps for a variety of reasons — the wild leeks are flavorful, pungent, great to cook with and, as the first green vegetable of spring, a much-welcome respite from winter cooking blues.
So, where to try them? Well, the seven-course ramp tasting menu served at Marc Forgione (134 Reade St., 212-941-9401) is a good place to start. At Oceana (120 West 49th St.), chef Ben Pollinger has included ramps in two new dishes: a tapica-crusted wild striper and a crispy soft shell crab. Meanwhile, over at Lyon (118 Greenwich Ave., 212-242-5966), chef Chris Leahy is including ramps in his newest spring dish, a roasted chicken with herb stuffing, ramps, turnip greens and thyme jus. Want to drink your ramp? At ‘inoteca, liquori (323 Third Ave.), sip on the “323” cocktail, made with gin, lemon sour and muddled pineapple and ramps.
And if you feel like making a journey for a whole-lotta ramps, the upcoming Ramp Fest 2011 is taking place in Hudson, N.Y. on April 30 to celebrate the onion, which is abundant in the area. Chefs such as Zak Pelaccio, Robert Berry from Cookshop, and Ricky King from Hundred Acres as well as chefs from the Hudson Valley will be on hand (1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Basilica Hudson, 110 Front St., www.basilicaindustria.com).
A ‘green’ cupcake?
CRUMBS Bake Shop is going green and introducing a new green-tea cupcake just in time for Earth Day, on April 22. The Green Tea
Cupcake features sponge cake infused with green tea, garnished with green tea flavored cream cheese filling and frosting and adorned with cake crumbs topping and sanding sugar decoration. For more information, go to www.crumbs.com.
Follow Dorothy Robinson on Twitter at @DorothyatMetro.
