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Emotional impulse shopping.

In the realm of “things you regret doing the next morning”, it’s right up there with emotional peanut butter/nutella/cookie butter eating, drunk dialing, and ultra-marathoning.  A serious affliction if ever I’ve encountered one.

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I never realized just how susceptible I was to such a disorder until the lack of rhubarb at Whole Foods left me feeling so bereft and lost and alone and, well.  Just downright empty inside.  That I had to fill the void in the time/space continuum (by which I mean in my heart and in my shopping cart) with something.

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And there they were.  Staring up at me from the corner of the store in which rhubarb should have been.

Beckoning to me with their withering green leafy glances.

The allium that is more of a harbinger of spring than just about any vegetable I can think of.

Ramps. Oh, ramps, how I’ve missed thee!

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So you see, what choice did I have other than to snatch them up, fling them in my cart with reckless abandon and not even a single ounce of forethought as to what exactly I was going to do with them?

I was running on adrenaline, baby.  No thinking, just action.  It was impulsion at its purest.

Until, of course, I got home, my cortisol levels now well below normal, and reality set in.

WHAT HAD I DONE?!?!?

I had taken these wonderful adorable almost scallion-like entities (but cuter) home without even a single plan for their future!  And now they were probably going to rot in the fridge and die a sad, limp and probably moldy death. Bad karma, folks.  Not good.

And then!

Along came Melissa Clark and her recipe for pan-fried asparagus with ramps, lemon and fried eggs.  So simple.  So delicious. And well.  Just so perfect for the situation at hand.

Or for any situation, really.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner…this meal does it all.  And it does it all within about 20 minutes.  Win.

(PS – if you can’t find ramps, then Melissa suggests substituting them with leeks and garlic!  While they may not fulfill your impulse shopping needs quite as well, I really do think they’ll be equally delicious here.)

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Eat.Live.Be.

Where the week before was eating disaster after eating disaster…the days since we’ve last eat.live.be-ed were…not.  And I think it’s because I didn’t give up.

Not when I had a slice of rhubarb streusel tart for dessert on Thursday night.

Not when I tasted some biscotti I was sent to review.

Not when I ate a spoonful (literally) of strawberry balsamic ice cream straight from the freezer.

Not when I realized the tartlets I had eaten for lunch every day were approximately 600 calories a pop.

I could have panicked.  Thrown in the towel.  Reached for the jar of peanut butter out of habit and anxiety.

But I didn’t.  I just shrugged. I said, “eh, it happens”.  And I let it go.

And you know what?  The world didn’t end.

I didn’t gain ten pounds over night.  And I may have even lost two.  That’s a win of a week in my book.  All because I realized that a momentary failure is just that. It’s a moment.  But it’s not every moment.  So don’t sweat it.  Just move on.  And do better when the next moment comes around.

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Panfried Asparagus with Ramps, Lemon and Fried Eggs
Serves 4, adapted from Melissa Clark’s Cook This Now

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch ramps (about 4 oz), bottoms trimmed
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus additional for seasoning
  • 3 thin lemon slices, each round cut into 8 wedges
  • 1 1/2 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 4 large eggs
  • 8 slices whole grain bread (I used a locally made quinoa and flaxseed bread from Whole Foods)

Instructions

  1. Separate the green leafy part of the ramps from the white/pink bottoms.  Finely chop the greens and set them aside.  Thinly slice the white bulbs.
  2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tbsp butter.  Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper onto the skillet.  Add the ramb bulbs (the white/pink parts!) and the lemon wedges.  Cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add 1 tbsp butter to the skillet.  Stir in the asparagus, ramp leaves and remaining 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper.  Cover the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the asparagus is tender, shaking occasionally.  Scrape onto a plate and set aside.
  4. Add the remaining 1 tbsp butter to the skillet.  Crack the eggs into the skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook the eggs until the edges are set.  Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook until the eggs are completely set, about 1 minute more.  Serve the eggs atop the bread, with the warm asparagus mixture.

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You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.
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92 Responses to Pan-Fried Asparagus with Ramps, Lemon and Fried Eggs {eat.live.be.}

  1. So funny – I made something very similar for my own dinner last night (just no ramps). Yours is much cooler and prettier. YUMMMM! Can’t get enough of asparagus this time of year!

  2. Hello breakfast! Ok, this is all I want now. Unfortunately, The only thing I have are eggs. Eggs it is!

  3. Raaaaaamps! I saw them at my farmers market last weekend, wanted to try, picked them up, put them down, picked them up….and finally put them down. I didn’t know what to do! Thanks for solving that for me. I hope those delicious greens are at the market this weekend!

  4. 1) SO proud of you and your good week 2) this looks delicious, maybe i’ll get over my fear of ramps and make it!

  5. Adrienne says:

    Ugh. I am a total asparagus whore. It is not unusual for me to roast an entire bunch and eat it all in one sitting. When that happens its always accompanied by an egg with a runny yolk and crusty bread. Best. Dinner. Ever.

  6. So ramps are apparently my rhubarb… I can’t find them any where! I want to make something JUST like this with springy, lemony flavors. AND an egg on top!

  7. I get in trouble with random impulse veggie shopping, too. Sadly, they may not last as long as I want and then I go into panic mode figuring out how to use them… Never tried ramps but if they taste like leeks and garlic, they sound divine!! With lemon and asparagus (also cooking on my blog today!), this looks like a killer combo! 🙂

  8. Amy says:

    I’ve never even heard of ramps! And I call myself a foodie *hangs head in shame* What I wouldn’t do for a runny egg and side of asparagus, though. Hot damn. My breakfast just became that much sadder.

  9. Mary says:

    This looks SOOOOOOOOOO fantastic this morning!!!! I would devour this without hesitation. I’d never heard of ramps either. I’m going to keep my eyes open for them now! Your pictures are fantastic. I just changed my breakfast plans, so that I can include a lovely runny egg. I’m headed to the kitchen now!

  10. I have never heard of ramps either. That asparagus looks so delicious. I like asparagus so much that I could eat it every other day and not get tired of it!

  11. Lynn says:

    I love anything with a runny egg on it. 🙂 This looks yummy.

  12. I thought of you at 4:00am this morning! I got my box from CSA and I got Rhubarb in it. Now what to make with it. I have never heard of ramps, but sound intresting. I love trying new vegetables, you just never know what new food you will fall in love with!

  13. Mo 'Betta says:

    I’m a terrible impulse/emotional shopper but it rarely involves vegetables ;). I do however have a very high caloric, yet delicious looking avocado sitting on the counter begging to be eaten. And you taught me something, bc I had never even heard of ramps!

  14. Love that second shot with the smoke rising from the dish. Would you believe I’ve never had ramps. That looks like my kind of dinner – last night was homemade fried rice with poached eggs. I think eggs might make everything better. Well, the runny kind anyway.

  15. Marcia says:

    Wow, yum! I’ve never cooked, or even seen ramps. They don’t grow them at the CSA. Huh.

  16. Margarita says:

    I have never had ramps and can’t find them anywhere… I read about them at the green thyme blog a while back and have been on the lookout but no luck. Yes, we have days of no workout and bad eating, but like everything else, they pass and we move on. Indulgence every now and then is a good thing. We only live once! 🙂

  17. kelsey says:

    I’ve never eaten ramps before or seen them, I’ll have to look! I Do however love runny eggs on anything. yum!

  18. I have never been able to find ramps in these parts but I am certainly going to pair eggs and asparagus soon!

    Gorgeous as always.

  19. Lora says:

    This morning I am regretting eating too much of my own baking last night. Oh to have this healthy delicious breakie to off set my guilt.

  20. I do the same impulse shopping… at Saks 🙂
    These looks great, and I pretty much salivate at anything with an egg!

  21. Big Dude says:

    It takes a brave soul to eat ramps in the very populated NYC, because if they impact you like they do me and most others, you won’t have to worry about being mugged ar anyone getting within 10 feet of you.

  22. Lyndsey says:

    Ha! such a delema when you can’t find any rhubarb! Truthfully…I have never had ramps before. I think I need to hunt for it.

  23. I have never seen ramps before. Sounds and looks interesting!! I must check it out. 😉

  24. This is the perfect breakfast. I could eat this everyday!

  25. So you’re two for two in Things Bee Has Never Tangled With–What the heck is a ramp? I need to investigate further. However, I am all about asparagus in any way shape or form and a drippy egg is always a win in my book.

  26. This looks like heaven – asparagus is the ingredient but with the egg it looks so delicious!
    Breakfast? Please 😀

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

  27. Eileen says:

    Sounds perfect–fresh, easy, seasonal, and takes advantage of all the delicious veg before they go off in the crisper. I may try this one out with shallots instead of ramps, as the seasonal veg in CA is obviously way different than in NYC. 🙂

  28. Juliana says:

    I never had or even heard of ramp…very interesting Joanne.
    The dish looks great, especially with the running egg yolk with asparagus…simple and yet so delicious.
    Hope you are having a great week 🙂

  29. Ah, great attitude! Delicious dish, I’d love the asparagus with the eggs. So good. I need to find ramps, I’d love to try them but so hard to find.

  30. Beth says:

    I’m relieved to hear that I wasn’t the only commenter who hadn’t heard of ramps. This looks gorgeous – nothing beats asparagus!

  31. Such a fantastic recipe for enjoying asparagus and eggs in a different way. This is lovely, Joanne. Thanks for sharing your creativity!

  32. Christine says:

    I’ve heard of ramps but never come across them. This dish looks utterly delicious! Will have to try it while asparagus is still in season and not too pricy! Thanks for the note on leeks and garlic as substitutes. No ramps here. Oh, and check your email please. 🙂

  33. Mary says:

    OMG! Ramps are hard to come by here and I am really envious. You’ve put them to really good use in this recipe. This really sounds delicious. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary

  34. Camila Faria says:

    Yum! I think everything tastes amazing with asparagus and a fried egg.

  35. Reeni says:

    I never had a ramp which is surprising because I love all things oniony. If I see them I’ll snatch them up! This is mouth-watering! I’m a sucker for a gooey yolk.

  36. Kevin says:

    Now this is a nice and tasty way to enjoy springs bounty! I could definitely do this for breakfasts this week!

  37. Megan says:

    This would be my ideal breakfast! Looks incredible!

  38. Gloria says:

    love this egg look amazing!

  39. Katie says:

    Asparagus and ramps together are about the most perfect combination! They just scream SPRING to me! And with an egg too. Yum!

  40. Would you believe I’ve never, ever, ever eaten ramps, let alone seen them in the flesh before??? Clearly this needs to be remedied, though I’m unsure how since I can’t seem to find them here. I will query my Aussie foodie friends and see if they can steer me in the right direction. 🙂

  41. Natalie says:

    uhhh yeah we all have those weeks girl!! thankfully we love veggies as much as we love sugar/butter, right?! 🙂

  42. Oh my gosh, I love ramps, especially with runny eggs. Mixing it with asparagus is brilliant!

  43. Emily says:

    This is really gorgeous. I love how crisp the egg looks in the first picture. You’ve inspired me to pick up some ramps in the future! So happy I live close to a Whole Foods now!

  44. This looks like I could tuck right in! Yum 🙂

  45. Ranjani says:

    In my opinion, the phrase “and fried eggs” makes any recipe a winner! Love the colors and spring flavors in this

  46. This looks fantastic, and the blog in general is looking gorgeous these days. Sorry I haven’t been by in a while!

  47. The runnier the egg, the better. Let it ooze all over the bread, and it’s a plate party.

  48. OK, so if it takes a normal person 20 minutes to make this…how long did it take you? 😉 Glad you were able to use up the ramps–what a beautiful dish! And good job not throwing in the towel after each semi-pitfall-I love your attitude.

  49. Epicurea says:

    ramps are truly something wonderful and asparagus season in full bloom! love it!

  50. Ramps are wonderful. My husband just foraged a bag of them a couple of weeks ago and we’ve been eating them all sorts of ways. They go so well with eggs, too!

  51. Aha, again comes the season of being envious of American bloggers talking about ramps!
    Still, we have feijoas in New Zealand.
    This dish looks beautiful – so simple, so elegant. An ideal distraction from a lack of rhubarb!

  52. Julia says:

    good thing there’s a replacement for ramps because I’ve never heard of those!
    Glad you’ve had some good days of enjoying tarts and biscotti 😉

  53. I would be as excited as you were to find ramps in the market. What a lovely meal and the photo of it is great.

  54. Johanna GGG says:

    That dish looks so fresh and summery – great impulse to buy the ramps – curious as to whether they will start to make a presence over here

  55. love2dine says:

    what a fantastic dish..

  56. Erica says:

    Wow! That egg looks perfect,Joanne! Delicious dish for breakfast,lunch or dinner!

  57. I can’t believe I’ve never cooked with ramps. Crazy, right? They don’t appear around here. I know I’d love them. Especially in this delicious-looking dish.

  58. Pam says:

    I have a weakness for egg yolk shots… that last photo has me truly drooling. Really. Seriously. Drooling.

  59. Ben says:

    Please don’t hurt me, but I didn’t know what ramps were until I read your post… Now I’m intrigued and want this for breakfast. NOW. Thank you 🙂

  60. Jenna says:

    This bowl of tastiness looks right up my alley! Especially since my pregnant aversions seem to be fading, which leads me to hope that fried/poached eggs will once again climb to the top of my list.

  61. Shannon says:

    eggs like this make me happy 🙂 one of my favorite dinners!!

  62. Cathleen says:

    Haha, this post made me laugh so hard. If that would have made your world end, I think mine would have been over years ago.
    This looks SO good. This is the first time I have heard of ramps. Must look this up!

  63. Joanne this looks delicious! I have to say – I am right there with you. I just got back from a week in NYC where I ate and drank my way through the boroughs. 3+ lbs on the scale is not a good look but I had an amazing time and I know by next week at this time, it will be gone. Keep moving forward!

  64. So healthy!!! and Delicious…

  65. Confession? I’ve never tried ramps! I’ve never even seen any TO try. Sigh. One day, but until then I will live vicariously through yours. That’s a killer meal.

  66. Jay says:

    Ahhh…this looks delicious…
    Tasty Appetite

  67. Candace says:

    This is my favorite recipe that I’ve seen this week. I’m pretty sure this needs to be my mother’s day breakfast. Mmmmhmmm. Chef Son-in-Law was kind enough to give me my very first ramps last week and I fell in love and my life was changed forever. I still have some so this recipe is very timely. Thanks, luv!

  68. tigerfish says:

    Lack of rhubarbs? I think WHFs lacks ramps too! If not, why are they not cheap? I pay ~$2 for 6 (countable) stalks of ramps last weeks. I love ramps trying them for the first time.

  69. That Girl says:

    See, ramps I can’t find anywhere

  70. Josie says:

    I looked for ramps the last time I was at Whole Foods, but there were none to be found 🙁 This dish looks totally fab though – I had my first runny eggs-asparagus experience over the weekend, and I want more NOW!!

  71. want this for breakie tomorrow

  72. I so want to find ramps! I’ll be scouring the opening of my favorite farmers’ market this weekend. I would love this dish!

  73. Natalie says:

    I’ve never tried ramps but I just bookmarked another recipe with eggs, asparagus, and ramps, so with this post calling to me now too, I see ramps in my near future!

  74. elly says:

    I have this cookbook on my birthday list, and I can’t wait to get it. This looks fantastic – perfect farmers market fare!

  75. I just learned about ramps from another blogger and my eyes are widely open when I go to markets these days. I haven’t found them yet but I’m not at the right kind of market. My goodness your food always looks delicious. You photograph just the way we want to see it. This recipe is something to look forward to when I find ramps.

  76. Katerina says:

    My life is full of moments like these Joanne! And let me tell you as the years accumulate I do get grams and kilos, unfortunately, unjustly, inevitably. I have come to realize that from now on I have to be very careful regarding food if I want to stay fit. But I would gladly try these asparagus and eggs for a good start breakfast since it is one meal that you are allowed to eat a little bit more than the others! They look scrumptious!

  77. Deborah says:

    I’m so sad – I have never been able to find ramps here. And that egg has me drooling. ONe of the hardest parts of being pregnant is not being able to eat runny yolks!!

  78. Carolyn Jung says:

    I’ve just recently fallen in love with ramps. They are not easy to find in California. And when you do find them, they are a pretty penny. But so worth it!

  79. Esi says:

    I’m DROOOLING over the food porn. These are my most favorite ingredients in the world and I love what you’ve come up with here.

  80. Gorgeous meal! I’ve never actually heard of ramps

  81. Jeanette says:

    What a beautiful breakfast! I’ve yet to try ramps, but seen them at Whole Foods. They were so expensive that I didn’t buy any, but wanted to so badly. Next time, I think I’m going to just have to suck it up and buy some.

  82. Cara says:

    This is exactly the kind of food I’ve been loving lately. Except without ramps. Heaven forbid we get the good stuff around these parts!

  83. Catherine says:

    Dear Joanne, This is perfecto!!! with a good cup of coffee and some pumpernickel toast. Love it! Blessings, Catherine xoxo

  84. I love your version of impulse shopping!

  85. Chris says:

    That was YOU drunk dialing us last night at 3am?!? ha ha

    Ramps grow naturally around here in the wild but they look different than the ones you have. They even have a ramp festival. But when you get around large patches of them, PHEW! They smell strong.

  86. Dana says:

    That is a gorgeous egg! I’m just coming around to the glories of the fried egg. We don’t have ramps here – they don’t grow in our climate. Of course, I can buy them, but I don’t and I am intrigued!

  87. Kerstin says:

    Those ramps are so pretty! There’s nothing better than breakfast for dinner, especially when it’s a fabulous one like this!

  88. Aggie says:

    I have never had ramps!! This is so my kind of dinner. Looks delicious

  89. Geni says:

    Those ramps are such beauty queens and what better thing in the world to do with them than sautee them up with some asparagus along side that gorgeous bright orange and runny egg. Hope your weekend was FAB Joanne.

  90. sally says:

    I don’t think I’ve ever tried ramps. I’ll have to get on that.

  91. Really love the pictures. We are making this tomorrow and will be taking some of our own. The farmers’ market I manage will definitely be getting this recipe in the next newsletter. Thanks for posting!

  92. Michael Caisse says:

    Thanks for the recipe! I went out this morning and cut about 2 dozen asparagus stalks from our garden, then went into our “backyard” and dug up about 8-10 ramps and brought in fresh eggs from our chickens. I followed the recipe exactly and within an hour we were eating this lucious egg and ramps dish. I will surely be making this dish again.

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