Ramp fava bean pea and egg spring tart

This ramp fava bean pea and egg spring tart is about all the beautiful, barely cooked spring vegetables and fresh eggs. 

After a winter hiatus, I look forward to the return of my favorite spring veggies like ramps, fava beans, sugar snap peas, and artichokes.  The farmers markets didn’t disappoint this weekend and were buzzing with all my favorite veggies. Even the beautiful blue and green eggs from my favorite egg farmer made their appearance, a sign of the weather warming up and the hens laying again.  I’m so excited to share the first spring recipe for meatless Monday, a ramp fava bean pea and egg spring tart. This spring tart is about all the beautiful, barely cooked spring vegetables and fresh eggs.

Ingredient Notes

• Ramps: ramps are, ramsom, wild leeks or wild garlic, not to be mistaken with scallions, shallots, or onions. They grow wild in only certain regions along the Appalachian ridge from Georgia to Quebec, and are foraged like truffles. Chefs and home cooks alike go wild for their pungent garlicky-onion flavor. I usually get them from Specialty Produce or Whole Foods in La Jolla. Their appearance is fleeting so spring onions or young spring garlic makes a delicious substitute if you can't find ramps.
• Fava beans: fava beans, also known as broad beans, are a springtime crop. Fava beans grow in big, bumpy green pods. Inside the cushy pods are large, flat, bright green beans with a tough, clear skin that need to be removed before eating. Blanch the shelled fava beans to make removing the tough clear skin easier. 
• Ricotta cheese: look for sheep’s whole milk ricotta from your local Italian grocery store or specialty market. Quality ricotta only has milk, salt, and either an acid or natural culture for its ingredients. Avoid ricotta with various gums and stabilizers listed as ingredients because they are used to artificially thicken the milk solids. If you can’t find high quality sheep’s whole milk ricotta, cow’s milk ricotta that is moist, soft, and creamy is a great substitute.
• While I chose ramps, fava beans, peas, and young sugar snap pea shoots for this tart, there are endless seasonal variations that you can play with--asparagus, baby leeks, garlic scapes, spring garlic, and spring onions.  

Tips for Working With Frozen Puff Pastry

For the tart base, I used a good store bought puff pastry but you’re more than welcome to make your own.  Don’t skim on an all butter puff pastry so you can enjoy those delicious buttery, flaky layers of dough similar to a pie crust. Premade puff pastry is super convenient and easy to use. Follow the tips below and you’ll be rewarded with the perfect tomato tart.

• Thaw the puff pastry in the fridge the night before you want to use it. Since puff pastry is made with a lot of butter, thawing it in a cold environment allows the pastry to become pliable without softening too much.
• Unfold the puff pastry only when it’s fully thawed otherwise you’ll break or crack the pastry. Be gentle when handling the pastry.
• Flour your surface and rolling pin which allows the pastry to roll out smoothly and prevent it from sticking.
• Prick the pastry with a fork before freezing it.
• Chill the pastry before baking. I put mine in the freezer for 15 minutes while I preheat the oven. This step gives the butter a chance to re-solidify and melt slowly during baking and helps hold its shape.
• Place a baking sheet over the puff pastry before putting it in the oven so it won’t puff up during baking.

The heroes of this spring tart are the ramps and fresh eggs.  Ramps have an earthy, beautiful garlic kick that adds a nice contrast to the sweetness of the fava beans and peas.  A layer of homemade ricotta cheese was used to add a subtle richness to the tart but you can also use goat cheese if you want a little more tang.  To make this tart complete, I added those blue eggs to show off their sunny yolked glory. Although this recipe does seem involved, the result is a delicious medley of green goodness to showcase spring’s glory and marks the beginning of good things to come.  This tart is best eaten while still warm from the oven with a scatter of chive blossoms, micro greens, and toasted hazelnuts.  For a completely meal, serve it with a crisp salad.

If you like ramps, check out these recipes: Parmesan ramp wreath, ramp and pistachio pesto, ramp and hazelnut pesto, and ramp pesto pizza with asparagus and peas.