Sautéed Ramp, Melted Mozzarella and Peach Habanero Preserve Crostini

I had initially planned on sharing a non-food related post with you all today.  However, the featured ingredient in this recipe is only in season for a few weeks out of the year, so I wanted to make sure I left you all with some time to hunt down ramps for this recipe before the ramp season officially comes to a close. 

So what the heck is a ramp anyway?  This is actually a piece of produce that I had only been introduced to a few weeks ago.  I had a colleague at work ask me if I had ever tried a ramp before.  Ramp?  Like a railing?  No no no, a ramp is a member of the onion family (think scallion meets chive and then hugs a leek).  Essentially, it's a much milder onion and for some reason, they only have an in-season period of 2-3 weeks.  

Today's recipe makes for a fabulous cocktail party nibble and/or served as a casual appetizer for outdoor entertaining.  The sweetness of the peach and habanero preserve balance out the savory found in the mozzarella and ramps perfectly.  There are a few components to this recipe, but I promise that it is all super easy to make and you will LOVE the end product.

Ingredients

• 7 Fresh Ramps plus leaves (finely chopped)
• 1 Thin Baguette (ex. Ficelle)
• Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt
• Eat This Peach Habanero Preserves
• 8oz Container of Fresh Mozzarella Medallions

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Slice baguette on a diagonal and place pieces on a cookie sheet
3. Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes on each side until slightly toasted
4. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbs olive oil in a skillet over medium heat
5. When the oil is hot, add chopped ramps and about a half of a teaspoon of kosher salt
6. Sautee ramps until they start to turn a crisp golden brown color (about 2-3 minutes), then remove from heat and set aside
7. Once sliced baguette pieces (aka crostini) are toasted remove from oven, allow to cool for about a minute or two, then apply a thin layer of Eat This Peach Habanero Preserves to each crostini
8. Place crostini on cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and set aside
9. Remove mozzarella medallions from water and press between paper towels to remove as much excess moisture as possible
10. Then place a medallion on top of each crostini and bake in the oven for about 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted
11. Remove the crostini from the oven and top each with about a teaspoon of the sauteed ramps
12. Serve and enjoy!

How to Create the Ultimate Vegetable Platter

Crudités platters have become a staple in my menu repertoire when hosting a cocktail party during the spring and summer months.  Not only are they healthy, colorful and accommodate a variety of dietary restrictions, but they are also an assembly-only hors d'oeuvres option!  If you have ever purchased a crudites platter from the store, it most likely included baby carrots, broccoli, chunky celery sticks and grape tomatoes.  While that is certainly a fine and dandy nibble option when pressed for time, I have personally grown tired of the typical crudites offerings.  Knowing that there are so many fabulous options when it comes to creating a veggie platter, has really turned me off from ever wanting to serve baby carrots to my guests again.  With a little extra effort, you can make a stunning tray of veggies that will have your guests coming back for seconds.   Here is how I went about creating my ultimate vegetable platter:

Veggie Platter Details

To create this most delicious platter, I started with the foundations - a large rectangular serving platter from CB2 and two Marta Tasting Glasses to hold the dips for the board.  Really, its all about the types of veggies used and the way in which you opt to present the produce that can transform you average platter into a true showstopper.  For this platter, I included the following veggies sliced in unique formats using either a peeler, mini mandoline slicer or paring knife.

• Mini English Cucumbers, sliced on the diagonal
• Mini Heirloom Tomatoes
• Peeled Carrots, stems removed and placed below carrots for garnish
• Red and Yellow Peppers, sliced thin
• Tri-colored Carrots (purple, white and orange), sliced on the diagonal
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Radishes, served both whole and sliced thin
• Celery, sliced on the diagonal
• Asparagus, top half only

Veggie Dips

I opted to serve both a lemon hummus and roasted red pepper hummus along side this platter.  Both hummuses were store bought, so I decided to elevate their respective presentations by topping each with a unique/no-fuss garnish.  For the red pepper hummus, I added a sprinkling of crushed red pepper flakes to kick up the heat a notch.   As for the lemon hummus, I opted to include a few fresh thyme leaves and long thin strips of fresh lemon zest to highlight the current flavors and add some additional flavor complexity.  

This platter was so much fun to assemble and it made for a great addition to yesterday's party menu.  I hope this post has inspired you to look beyond the baby carrots the next time you have to create your own veggie platter and include more unique and seasonal items.  Assembling an ultimate veggie platter is a great/refreshing way to keep a healthy option in the mix at your next party.