Fiddlehead Ramp Soup

Well, the farmers market was spectacular of course. I came home with, let's see, bacon, pork chops, lamb chops, lettuce, salad greens, eggs, kale, bread, ramps, fiddleheads, asparagus, and one Alpine strawberry start to add to the ones I already have in the garden. At that point, we stopped because the stroller basket was full and I wasn't sure I'd have time to cook anything else before next Saturday, when we shall repeat the process.

I discovered ramps at last year's farmers market, but I had never had fiddleheads before and decided it was high time to try them. Both are wild foods available in the Northeast at this time of year. Fiddleheads are the early shoots of the ostrich fern, curled tightly so they look like their namesake. I have heard them compared to asparagus, also an early shoot, but the flavor is milder. They are delicious and have a lovely texture. To me, they taste very green. Ramps are a wild allium, a relative of onions, leeks and garlic. Their flavor is quite sweet and mild. To prepare then, slice off the roots at the bottom and remove the outer layer. The whole thing is edible--leaves and all. I combined the two in this creamy soup, along with some bacon from Bostrom's Farm (which you can leave out if you like). It tasted like springtime in a bowl!

3-4 slices bacon
4 medium potatoes, cubed (peel or not as you like)
3 Tbsp white flour
1 bunch ramps (about 6 oz), chopped (including stems and leaves)
1/2 lb fiddleheads, well rinsed to remove chaff
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups milk

Fry the bacon in a good-sized skillet.

While it cooks, heat a bit of olive oil in a soup pot and add the potatoes. Saute, stirring frequently, for five minutes or so. Sprinkle with white flour and cook, stirring, for another minute or so. Add enough water to comfortable cover the potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until the potatoes are tender.

Finish frying the bacon while the potatoes cook. Drain on paper towels, then mince. Pour off most of the bacon fat from the pan, leaving 1-2 tsp. Add the ramps and fiddleheads and saute until tender (about 5 minutes).

When the potatoes are done, use and immersion blender to puree them a little bit (maybe a third or so), just enough to give the soup a creamy texture while still leaving chunks of potato. Stir in the fiddleheads, ramps, and bacon, then add the milk. Reheat on the stove if needed.

Serves 4-6.