Said the Ramp to the Table

April 30, 2012

Where am I?

You are here. In Union Square. At the Greenmarket. In New York City.

Where is that?

I’m not entirely sure. I just know it’s here.

Do I live here now?

You do. Not for long, though.

How do you know?

Because I’m a table. I know these things.

Am I a table?

No, you are not a table.

What am I then?

You’re a ramp.

Is that a good thing?

It’s neither good nor bad. You just are.

But they’re looking at me and they’re… ?

Cooing?

I suppose. Yes. You call it cooing? Why are they cooing?

Because you are a harbinger of summer.

I thought I was a ramp.

You are. They are cooing because they came here for you. Because you are evocative and they are forlorn.

What if I don’t want to be evocative?

You have no choice. In April, as a ramp, in Union Square, you are evocative.

But I miss the soil.

So do they.

Sea Scallops with Ramp Pesto

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO (and hurry up because ramp season is ending):

Buy ramps.
Clean, dry, and chop the green tops. Put them in a blender with olive oil (about 1 part ramp top to 4 parts olive oil). Blend until you have a pesto, then season very lightly with salt. Set aside. Season sea scallops with a little salt and pepper, and cook over high heat in a heavy-gauge skillet until caramelized on both top and bottom. Serve over the ramp pesto.

Use the bottoms as you would onions with sauteed potatoes, or pickle them, or mince them in guacamole, or grill them. Experiment and coo.

 

3 comments.

  1. Love it! Time to make my way down to Union Square…

     ~ Jorin Hawley, May 2, 2012 at 4:19 am.
  2. I’m not sure I’ve ever been so inspired to go buy ramps. Strange though that may be…

     ~ Cassie, May 2, 2012 at 10:29 pm.
  3. Never have eaten ramps. I’ll have to try this.

     ~ Heide M., February 16, 2013 at 11:26 am.

The comments are closed.