reading time: 2 min
Preparation time: 60 mins
Main ingredients: potatoes, ramson
difficulty level: moderate
serves: 4
suitable for: vegan, lactose-free, wheat-free, nut-free, soy-free, low-fat, low-sodium
Okay, so this is already a running gag between me and my boyfriend because we've said so many times that we would make ramson gnocchi one day, but we never got around actually doing it because either it wasn't ramson season (March - May here in Germany) or we forgot about it. But then, one day, my boyfriend came home from the market with a bunch of fresh ramson!
I've seen ramson grow in the forest many times before - and i've smelled it (smells like garlic, hence the byname "wild garlic") -, but i've never actually cooked with it. Ramson favours moist semi-shady areas, growing mostly in and around woodland, but also along riverbanks, where they grow in large colonies that bloom in a beautiful white.
The season only lasts a month or two, but the leaves can be preserved by making soup or pesto and freezing it. Also, both the bulbs and the seed pods can be pickled, as long as care is taken not to overharvest. Each bulb looks just the same as a clove from the garlic that you buy in the supermarket, but they are not protected by a skin so require some washing before use.
For this recipe, however, you will only need the leaves.
I've seen ramson grow in the forest many times before - and i've smelled it (smells like garlic, hence the byname "wild garlic") -, but i've never actually cooked with it. Ramson favours moist semi-shady areas, growing mostly in and around woodland, but also along riverbanks, where they grow in large colonies that bloom in a beautiful white.
The season only lasts a month or two, but the leaves can be preserved by making soup or pesto and freezing it. Also, both the bulbs and the seed pods can be pickled, as long as care is taken not to overharvest. Each bulb looks just the same as a clove from the garlic that you buy in the supermarket, but they are not protected by a skin so require some washing before use.
For this recipe, however, you will only need the leaves.
Ingredients
600g potatoes, waxy
pinch of salt
60g fresh ramson
2 flax eggs
about 8 tbsp flour (e.g. spelt flour)
4 tbsp semolina (e.g. corn semolina)
Instructions
Cook your potatoes with peel on in salted water for about 25 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. In the meantime, wash the ramson, dry well (salad spinner), remove the stems, cut into strips and blend with the flax eggs (using a blender, food processor or immersion blender). Peel the cooled off potatoes and mash using a potato masher. Add the ramson flax egg mixture, semolina and flour and combine thoroughly. Season with salt. If the mixture is too moist, add some more flour.
Flour your counter top, and roll small portions of the dough into long, finger-sized "snakes". Cut snakes into half-inch pieces, pressing the back of a fork against one side. This gives the typical pattern of gnocchi. Bring salted water to a boil, add the gnocchi and leave for about 3 minutes or until they begin to rise to the surface. With a slotted spoon, drain well and transfer to a bowl.
I served mine with a fresh garden salad and some home made hummus. Light and refreshing! A tomato soup would be nice too, I think.
Cook once, eat twice
Since my boyfriend and I try to be as efficient as possible in the kitchen, we always cook enough food to cover dinner and lunch the next day. While these gnocchi taste best when freshly made, they also make for tasty leftovers the following day. Just make sure to freshly prepare your side salad to prevent sogginess!
Note:
The exact amount of flour and semolina can not be specified because it depends on the potato variety and how dry they are.
Cook once, eat twice
Since my boyfriend and I try to be as efficient as possible in the kitchen, we always cook enough food to cover dinner and lunch the next day. While these gnocchi taste best when freshly made, they also make for tasty leftovers the following day. Just make sure to freshly prepare your side salad to prevent sogginess!
Note:
The exact amount of flour and semolina can not be specified because it depends on the potato variety and how dry they are.
If you're not into the taste of garlic, leek or ramson, be warned. These gnocchi taste very strongly of ramson.
♥
Maisy
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