Blue Cheese Grits, Creamed Chard, Caramelized Hakurei Turnips, and Pickled Ramps

Southern Aged Blue Cheese Grits

This recipe will serve 4 people

Ingredients

3 cups water
¾ cup grits
1 ½ tsp salt
¼ cup Southern Aged blue cheese crumbled
¼ cup ramp greens, finely chopped
2 tbsp Banner Butter

Method

1. Bring the water to a boil, add the salt and stir in the grits.
2. Turn the heat down very low and cook the grits for 20 minutes. Give it a good stir every five minutes or so.
3. After 20 minutes, add the ramps. This will give it additional flavor.
4. Cook 5 more minutes and remove from the heat. Immediately stir in the blue cheese and butter and stir till both the cheese and the butter are all melted. The grits will have a nice creamy consistency.

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Creamed Chard

Ingredients

2 tbspolive oil
1 bunch Swiss chard, thick stems removed and leaves sliced into ribbons
1 each green garlic, finely chopped
3 each spring onions, finely chopped
3 tbsp Banner Butter
1 ¼ cups heavy cream
1 cup Southern Aged cloth cheddar
to taste Salt and pepper

Method

1. In a large pan add olive oil. Once hot add your spring onions, garlic and allow the aromas to build. Add the swiss chard and season with salt and cover! Stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 6 minutes.

2. Press or squeeze out the excess liquid.

3. Wipe out the large pot so you can use it again. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until warm. Add in the cheese and whisk until forms a nice sauce!

4. Stir in chard, then salt and pepper to taste.

Note: Add chopped PINE STREET MARKET bacon to this recipe will really make it extra special!

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Caramelized Hakurei Turnips

Ingredients

1 bunch hakurei turnips
1 each green garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Banner Butter sea salt
to taste sea salt

Method

I love these turnips as they are supper versatile and delicious. As the season changes so do they. You can get them sweet, spicy and neutral. They are great shaved in a salad, can be pickled, with dips for kids (hummus, ranch you name it). This is my favorite way to prepare them and it is supper simple.

1. Cut your turnip in half, lengthwise and a nice small chop to your green garlic.

2. Heat up your pan until just before it begins to smoke. Add your oil.

3. Place your turnips face down into the pan. Add the green garlic and season with salt. Allow the turnips to caramelize until golden brown.

4. Add the butter and remove from the heat.

5. They are ready to be served!

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Pickled Ramps

Ingredients

1 lb ramps
1 cup water
¼ cup white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 tblsp local honey
1 tblsp kosher
1 hot chile pepper, chopped
½ tsp whole mustard seeds
½ tsp whole coriander seeds
¼ tsp whole cumin seeds
6 – 8 whole black peppercorns

Method

1. Slice off the string roots at the bottom of the ramps a little bit above the point where the white part ends and the green leaves separate out. Wash the ramps well.
   You're only going to pickle those white parts with a bit of the green attached, but don't throw out the leaves.

2. Prepare the brine by putting the water, vinegar, honey and salt in a small saucepan and stir to combine. Add the spices.

3. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Place a clean 1/2-pint canning jar (it is not necessary to sterilize the jars for this recipe) on its side. Lay the ramps in with the white part toward the bottom of the jar. Laying them with the jar on its side makes it easier to keep the ramps straight so that they will all line up vertically when you set the jar upright.

5. Pack the ramps in so tightly that you cannot squeeze in a single ramp more. This will ensure that the ramps stay immersed in the brine rather than floating up out of it. Be sure to leave 1/2-inch head space between the top of the ramps and the rim of the jar (trim the ramps if they are too tall).

6. Pour the hot brine over the ramps, covering them completely but still leaving 1/4 to 1/2-inch head space (Tip: you can refrigerate leftover brine and use it for future batches of pickles). Screw on canning lids.

7. Process the pickled ramps in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Wait at least a week for the flavors to develop before sampling (they will be even better after a month)

8. Pickled ramps will keep, unopened, at room temperature for at least 1 year (they are still safe to eat after that but the quality will decline). Once opened, store in the refrigerator.