Shawn Highfield wrote to Dave Drum <=-
My main "pick your own" are the puffballs and an occasional mushrooming expedition looking for morels. For the most part, though, I'm like you
and do my mushrooming at the produce department.
The only ones I 100% can identify are the morels, so those are the ones
we hunt for each spring. We still have access to a property owned by friends for my spring goodies. (morels, ramps, fiddleheads) As I understand it this will be the last spring as their family is plowing
the entire property and building a subdivision.
Never et fiddleheads. Nor been offered them. I've done ramps a time or
two - always got the early when their leaves had not got so broad as to
make them more easily identifiable. I always thoought of them as a sort
of wild spring onion/scallion - identifiable by the purple/magenta pert
above the bulb. They sure are pungent, though.
My mushrooming days are over. Except for harvesting the puffballs from
the front lawn. Walking is getting to be more and more of a chore for
me. Gone forever are the days when I walked to a nearby town (14 miles)
to meet a girl a friend had a date with - thinking to catch a ride home
with them. Of course he got the wrong idea and blew up on me. So, I had
to walk back home.
MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
Title: Ray Garcia's Shrimp w/Habañero & Ramps
Categories: Seafood, Vegetabloes, Chilies, Booze
Yield: 4 Servings
12 lg Shrimp (U-12)
1 lb Ramps; about 20
10 Habañeros
5 cl Garlic
2 1/2 c Cider vinegar
3/4 c Water
1 tb Salt
3 tb Sugar
1/2 c Onion; julienned
1 Serrano chile; sliced
1 tb Garlic puree
3 oz Silver tequila
2 c Cherry tomatoes; peeled
3 oz Lime juice
2 tb Butter
1/4 c Cilantro; in chiffonade
Salt & pepper
Clean ramps thoroughly to remove any dirt.
Separate the white part of the ramp from the green.
Reserve greens for later.
Add vinegar, water, garlic, salt, and sugar to a pot.
Simmer until all of the salt and sugar have dissolved.
Remove the stem from the habañeros.
Put the habañeros in a heat resistant container and pour
the vinegar mixture over the top.
Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature then
remove the chilies, add the ramp whites, and return to
the stove.
Bring the vinegar back to a boil.
Simmer for one minute then remove from the heat to cool.
Pour the vinegar and ramps back over the habañero and
let sit for at least 4 hours (overnight is ideal).
Once pickled, remove the ramp bottoms and habañeros and
dice finely.
FINISHING THE DISH: Chiffonade the ramp greens.
Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.
Add 2 T of oil to a large sauté pan and heat on medium
high until the oil begins to simmer.
Add the sliced onion and serrano chilies to the pan.
Sweat until the onions start to become translucent (you
do not want color ideally).
Add the shrimp to the pan.
Once shrimp start getting a little color on one side,
flip them and add garlic puree.
Cook for one minute then add the tequila.
Once flame has gone away, toss in the ramp tops to wilt,
and then the cherry tomatoes.
Finish with butter, lime juice, and then cilantro.
Season with salt and pepper.
Check if more lime or tequila are needed.
Ready to plate.
RECIPE FROM:
http://www.hallmarkchannel.com
Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives
MMMMM
... The tip you now leave for lunch would have bought you one 20 years ago
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