RAMPS: The Cookbook (St. Lynn’s Press, 2012), from the Editors of St. Lynn’s Press, is chock-full of delicious recipes dedicated to the ramp. Ramps, similar to onions and garlic, have been a staple to Appalachian dishes for decades but are just now gaining wide popularity thanks to food writers and chefs. The following buckwheat crêpes recipe is an excellent dairy-free breakfast option.
Purchase this book from the MOTHER EARTH NEWS store:RAMPS: The Cookbook.
Buckwheat Crêpes Recipe with Ramps
Makes 8 crêpes
Batter:
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon buckwheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon margarine, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 1/2 cups soymilk
• 3 eggs
Filling:
• 8 eggs
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 12–14 ramps (6 ounces)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Oil or margarine for coating the pan
Instructions:
First, make the batter: In a medium bowl sift together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl mix together the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and beat until smooth. Cover and chill the batter for 30 minutes.
Turn on broiler and place oven rack in the top position. Lay out a sheet pan or cookie sheet.
For the filling: Chop bacon and cook until crispy. Drain and set aside. Wash and slice the ramps, keeping the green tops separate from the white bottoms. Cook ramp bottoms in a pan with the olive oil over medium-low heat. When the bottoms are softened add the green tops and toss. Remove pan from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To make a crêpe: Heat a non-stick skillet or crêpe pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot coat the inside with oil or margarine. Pour in 1/4 cup of crêpe batter and immediately swirl to coat the pan evenly. Cook until the edges dry out and the top is mostly set. Loosen the crêpe around the edges with a spatula and then flip.
As soon as it is flipped, add 1/8 of the cooked ramps to the middle of the crêpe and crack an egg on top. Sprinkle on 1/8 of the bacon and flip up the sides of the crêpe to form a rough square with the egg exposed in the center. Slide the filled crêpe out of the pan and onto the sheet pan. Repeat 7 more times.
Place the sheet pan with under the broiler and cook until egg whites are set (30 seconds to 1 minute). Plate with salt and freshly ground black pepper on top.
More from RAMPS: The Cookbook:
• Spring Herb Hunt
• Pickled Ramps Recipe
• Burrito Recipe with Ramps
This excerpt has been reprinted with permission from RAMPS: The Cookbook, Cooking with the Best Kept Secret of the Appalachian Trail by Editors of St. Lynn’s Press and published by St. Lynn’s Press, 2012. Purchase this book from our store:RAMPS: The Cookbook.
