Creamed Ramps

Chef’s Notes:

“For our dinner, we spit the plate between Oregon, where the dinner was held, and Colorado, my home,” says Chef Rob Zack. “We used fresh Oregon ramps — a wild, seasonal ingredient — to add a bit of sharpness to contrast with the richness of our Colorado-raised steak.” This creation is best used in moderation as a saucy accompaniment to 7X steak, with just a spoonful ladled to the side.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ramps, cleaned
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup milk, warmed
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, fresh, ground
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoons pepper{item} |

Instructions:

Separate the white stems and the green leaves of the ramps. Chop each roughly.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 2 tablespoons of melted butter and flour. Stir until combined, and gradually add warm milk. Whisk until slightly thickened and smooth. Add the cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Reserve.

In a separate pan, sauté the chopped ramp stems with 2 tablespoons of the butter. Once soft, add the chopped ramp leaves and cook briefly. Stir into the reserved milk mixture and serve warm.

Prepared by Chef Rob Zack, Hotel Jerome, Aspen, Colorado