Ramps are in season and I intend to utilize them exponentially. Plug your nose, and join me for the first recipe: ramp and ham buttermilk biscuits.
Ramps at the Bigg Riggs Farm stand {Old Town Alexandria Farmers Market}, April 18th, 2009
Buttermilk is one of my favorite ingredients. The quantities consumed at the garden apartment are a little embarrassing, actually.
It should come as no surprise, then, that buttermilk biscuits are baked quite often in our little abode. And no further shock should be induced when I inform you, dear reader, that a spring recipe posted on Epicurious for ramp and buttermilk biscuits piqued my curiosity.
Though the Epicurious recipe was the source of inspiration, I already have a favorite go-to buttermilk recipe. I was also feeling rather pressured to use some leftover Easter ham-- and thankfully ham seemed like an ingredient that would pair nicely with the sharply onion flavored ramps.
I reasoned that folding the ramps and ham into my go-to dough would be simple enough, and gave it a go. The results? They turned out wonderfully: the rich flavor of the buttermilk complimenting the saltiness of the ham and the enduring flavor of the ramps. * Warning: You may want to reduce the amount of ramps to your personal tolerance level.
To see the recipe for plain buttermilk biscuits, visit Pinch My Salt (and also get a wonderful lesson on the protein content of various flours). To make my version with ramps and ham, simply fold 1/3 cup of diced ramps (or less, depending on how strong a flavor you want) and 1/3 cup diced ham into the completed dough. I also added 1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper to the dry mixture in the food processor.
And for some photographic assistance. . .
The fresh ramps were diced.
The buttermilk was measured, and the dry ingredients measured into the food processor.
After carefully pulsing the butter into the dough, the ramps and ham were gently folded in. The dough was then rolled out and cut into twelve squares.
After baking in the oven, the biscuits were golden brown and begging to be eaten.
Want to know more about ramps? Read more about them here. This is the first recipe in The Garden Apartment's "Plug Your Nose" Series featuring ramps. Stay tuned for more recipe inspiration for this stinky wild leek, which will be in season for the next few weeks.
