Get 'Em Before They're Gone: Greenmarket Ramps Sauteed with Oyster Mushrooms

I hit Union Square's Greenmarket yesterday and bagged some amazing ingredients for this week's seasonal Spring dishes, based on completely different ingredients than what have become my habit. Hey, habits are fantastic - they're what keep us disciplined, are stronger than willpower and help us make consistent progress toward our goals - but they can breed boredom. I left my green market run with 9 ingredients (photo above) for at the very least 6 new dishes, each using 5 or fewer ingredients. I'm going to break up the recipes into individual posts over the next couple of weeks, but will start with two ingredients: ramps and oyster mushrooms.

Ramps look and cook like scallions, but taste like creamy garlic. They can be chopped and sauteed to flavor other dishes, and the long leaf can even be eaten whole. Nutritionally, they deliver 30% of your daily requirement of Vitamin A (for healthy skin, bones, soft tissues and vision) and 20% of your required Vitamin C intake (for stronger immunity). They're also a great source of folic acid (needed for cell regeneration and to the reduce the risk of heart disease and colon cancer) and selenium (an antioxidant that helps repair damaged cells and keeps your thyroid healthy).

Oyster mushrooms have a rich history in Chinese medicine. They are respected for their antioxidant and antibacterial properties, and are understood to have a detoxifying effect in your system. Not to mention that they taste creamy - I'm willing to set aside the portobello mushroom and claim these as my Favorite Funghi thus far.

So they're great for you, check. Now here's what I did with them as one course of a highly seasonal Spring dinner: behold, sauteed oyster mushrooms with ramps:

• Prep: Wash 6 ramps (if you're cooking for two) and 2-3 large oyster mushrooms. On the ramps, cut off the tiny edge that appears to have 'hair' at the end. Then chop the entire ramp, including the leaf - it's edible, tastes and cooks great. For the oyster mushrooms, simply pull off the bulbs and set aside. Toss any 'stems' at the heart of the mushroom that may feel too hard for your taste.
• Cook: Drizzle about 1 tablespoon olive oil on a good saucepan. Once, heated, add your chopped ramps and oyster mushroom bulbs. Stir and cook until the mushrooms shrink and are visibly cooked. They might look a bit translucent.
• Serve: Add salt and pepper to taste (I used Himalayan pink salt and freshly ground black peppercorn). Enjoy with a good glass of rose on a Spring night (or afternoon)

Told you it'd be easy. If you try this, let me know what you think! More to come,

- Paloma