Ramps, Two Ways

Ramps are a sign of spring. And spring is truly here, with wild warm days that have helped my soul crawl out of the drudgery of winter. Spring has reminded me how great the world can be when it is actually sunny and warm and green everywhere. A kind of wild leek, ramps appear in early spring and don't stay in season for long. I was thrilled when I saw them at the Greenmarket last week and snatched them right up. They can be used in place of onions...

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Dark Days Challenge Final Week: Skate, Lemony Kale, and Fries

This is a variation on an old standby of ours: fish, kale, and oven-baked fries. I picked up skate instead of flounder at the Greenmarket because it was cheaper and I wanted to try something new. We thought we could just pan fry it - but instead it took forever, stuck to the pan, and fell apart, and the texture is much chewier than flounder. Next time I would do some research on a better way to cook skate. Except there probably won't be a next time,...

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My Urban Garfunkel Garden

In just spring, when the world is puddlewonderful. - e.e. cummingsYesterday was such a beautiful early spring day. The sun was shining, New York City was bustling with people and plants and life, and I was in an unusually good mood. I've been feeling perpetually grouchy lately, but the warm day filled me with promise of brightness and warmth and happiness before me. As my fried Jessica put it, the day lent a nostalgia for what we knew was to come...

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Dark Days Challenge Final Week: Kale and Chicken with Bacon and Currants over Rice

In thinking of a way to use up the bacon I bought last weekend, I thought back to the kale salad with bacon vinaigrette that I had at Diner not so long ago. I loved that salad, with its delicate chiffonades of kale and crunch of bacon and breadcrumbs. But I didn't think that the tight little leaves of kale I get from Garden of Eve farm would suit a salad. So I decided to cook the kale on the stovetop and make use of the bacon fat. For Jesse's benefit,...

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