Spring Vegetable Hash
This vegetable hash is bursting with fresh spring ingredients. It’s exactly what I’m craving in April, when ramps, morels and fava beans hit the local market. You can eat this plain, with grilled meat or poultry, or one of my favorite pairings, poached eggs.
Vegetable Hash of Ramps, Fava Beans & Morels
Ingredients
- 1/4 pound Italian bread, torn into pieces
- 1/2 pound assorted mushrooms (morels, black trumpets, golden chanterelles)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 pound fava beans, shelled (from roughly 2 pounds of pods)
- 1/2 pound russet potatoes, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 tablespoons clarified butter
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 clove garlic, sliced
- 1 tablespoon parsley, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
- 1/2 pound ramps, ends trimmed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
- Salt and pepper
- Poached eggs for serving (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a food processor, pulse the bread until coarse crumbs form. Spread the crumbs out on a sheet pan and toast in the oven for 7 to 10 minutes. Reserve the bread crumbs.
Turn the oven up to 450 degrees F. In a bowl, combine the olive oil with the mushrooms and toss to coat. Spread on a sheet pan and bake in the oven until the mushrooms are just cooked through and browned slightly, about 6 to 8 minutes. Reserve.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a separate bowl with ice water. Blanch the shelled fava beans in the boiling water for 2 minutes. Immediately plunge them into the ice water bath. Drain. Remove the outer skins by squeezing each bean gently between your fingers. Reserve.
Bring another pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a separate bowl with ice water. Blanch the diced potatoes in the boiling water for about 5 minutes. Immediately plunge them into the ice water, then drain and reserve.
Place 1 tablespoon of the clarified butter in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. When hot, add the potatoes and brown, tossing frequently.
Add the shallots, garlic, herbs, ramps and mushrooms. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. When the ramps have wilted and begun to caramelize, add the bread crumbs and the remaining tablespoon of butter into the pan. Toss, cooking for another minute. Add the blanched and peeled fava beans. Toss to heat through.
Season and serve.
Photographs by Madeleine Hill.
• Artichoke, Pea & Fava Vignarola
• Fresh Spring Pea Soup
• Spring Paella with Morels, Peas & Shrimp
