Bacon & Ramps Skillet Cornbread

One pan wonder! Local ramps offer springtime nourishment and a bonus flavor of onion and garlic to an already delicious bacon cornbread!

Recipe by Bjorn Bergman

Serves: 8.

Prep Time: 15 min. Cook Time: 25 min.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal

• ½ cup all purpose whole wheat flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• ½ salt

• 1 egg

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

• 3 slices uncooked bacon

• 6-8 whole ramps, roots removed & rinsed

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 450º. In small bowl, mix together cornmeal, whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt. In large bowl, whisk together egg, milk and maple syrup. Mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Set aside.

2. Over med-high heat, fry bacon in an 8-inch cast iron skillet. When bacon is crispy, transfer to paper towel to drain. Crumble when cooled. Reserve bacon fat in cast iron skillet.
   Separate ramp bulbs and stems from the leaves. Mince bulbs and stems. Chop ramp leaves into 1/4-inch pieces.

3. Sauté minced bulbs and stems in cast iron skillet with reserved bacon fat for 1 minute.
   Add sautéed ramps, bacon fat, chopped ramp leaves, bacon crumbles and melted butter to the cornbread batter and mix well. Pour batter into the same hot 8-inch skillet that the bacon and ramps were fried in.

4. Place skillet on center oven rack and bake until toothpick or knife pulls cleanly out of the center of cornbread, 15 to 25 minutes.

5. Cool 10 minutes before cutting.

Nothing beats a piping hot slice of cornbread after a day of ramp hunting. Serve while it’s still warm and slather on plenty of local butter and honey.