Goat Cheese Tarts With Ramps And Lemon Zest

4 from 1 ratings

The first time I laid eyes on these colorful wild leeks was in Vermont in the late 1980s. I had just moved there and was getting acquainted with local farmers and discovering local foods. I must say it was love at first sight. Since then ramps season can never come soon enough for me — and I make sure they are on the menu every week until they vanish. Although they look dainty, ramps are in fact quite pungent, so a little goes a long way no matter what dish they end up in. My favorite way to cook ramps is to sauté them briefly in a little butter and olive oil until they wilt. Then I toss them with handmade ravioli, add them to soups or risottos, or serve them alongside poached eggs. But here, my gorgeous bunch found its way into these unbearably light little tarts. The fresh goat cheese and lemon zest pair perfectly with the ramps’ slight garlic flavor to make these tarts an irresistible hors d’oeuvre or appetizer. Click here to see What Are... Ramps?

Servings

servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoon julienned lemon zest
one 5-ounce bunch ramps, trimmed, stalks and leaves cut on a bias into ¼-inch slices
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
six 10-by-14-inch sheets phyllo dough
6 ounce goat cheese, crumbled
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat the butter and olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan over medium-high heat. As soon as the butter is melted, add the lemon zest and sauté for 1 minute until the lemon zest starts to curl up but doesn’t brown.
Add the ramps and continue to sauté until the ramps have released their moisture and the leaves begin to turn dark green, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, quickly toss and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Brush a baking sheet lightly with melted butter. Place one sheet of phyllo on a work surface and brush lightly with melted butter. Top with another sheet of phyllo. Brush the second sheet of phyllo with melted butter and continue to stack and lightly butter each sheet until all 6 sheets have been used up.
Cut the stacked phyllo into 8 equal rectangles and place on the baking sheet. Top each phyllo rectangle with a little crumbled goat cheese. Top with the sautéed ramps and season with black pepper, to taste.* Bake the tarts until edges are golden, about 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm.