Because you can’t be a true Brooklyn Foodie if you don’t make at least one dish with ramps in the spring. Ramps and Sopressata Skillet

Ingredients: 2 tbs olive oil 1 bunch of ramps, white and green parts divided and roughly chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup of spicy sopressata, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 1/4 cup of fennel bulb, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced 5 eggs 1 small bunch of Chinese chives (also known as garlic chives), chopped into 1-inch sections 1/3 cup of Cabot cheddar cheese, grated 2 cups of baby arugula 2 tsp fennel fronds, for garnish (optional) salt and pepper to taste a few slices of crusty bread, toasted

Directions: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the white parts of the ramps and sweat for a few minutes, much like you would with onions. Add the garlic, sopressata, red pepper, and fennel and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the green parts of the ramps and cook for less than a minute, until they just begin to wilt. Crack the eggs into the pan and let cook until they set, about 5 minutes. Add the chives, cheese, and arugula and turn off the heat once the cheese melts and the arugula starts to wilt. Garnish with fennel fronds, and salt and pepper to taste (note: the cheese and sopressata are already quite salty so we just added freshly cracked pepper). Serve immediately over toasted bread — the crustier, the better.

Special thanks to Ned, from the Carlton Bears Community Garden, for sharing his chives, fennel, and enthusiasm with us.