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
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
- Slice baguette on a diagonal and place pieces on a cookie sheet
- Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes on each side until slightly toasted
- Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbs olive oil in a skillet over medium heat
- When the oil is hot, add chopped ramps and about a half of a teaspoon of kosher salt
- Sautee ramps until they start to turn a crisp golden brown color (about 2-3 minutes), then remove from heat and set aside
- 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
- Place crostini on cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and set aside
- Remove mozzarella medallions from water and press between paper towels to remove as much excess moisture as possible
- Then place a medallion on top of each crostini and bake in the oven for about 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted
- Remove the crostini from the oven and top each with about a teaspoon of the sauteed ramps
- Serve and enjoy!
