Pancetta can be served on its own (sliced very thin), but it’s often used a flavoring base for sauces, beans, soups, vegetables and as a cooking fat (when rendered) for many pasta condiments. Note: Traditionally cured pancetta (three months or longer) is safe to eat raw. The fat turns satiny and melts on the tongue.

Jimmy Nardello is not a character in “Goodfellas”, but who knows? Jimmy was a seed saver who brought the seeds from Italy to Connecticut
in 1887. The pepper originates from the southern region of Italy, in Basilicata. Frying peppers are often sautéed or fried and added to a variety of
foods such as; pastas, fregola (Sardinian couscous), etc… Their flavor is sweet when eaten raw, but when cooked they have a complexity that really adds depth to a final dish without adding heat. I will use them in a myriad of ways; a nice heirloom tomato soup with Jimmy Nardello peppers is just the beginning. To find seeds for your garden go to Seed Savers Exchange.

BEAVER DAM PEPPER

A pepper close to our hearts and our own backyard. The Beaver Dam pepper is a Hungarian variety brought to Beaver Dam Wisconsin in 1912 by the Joe Hussli family. They are mildly hot and possess a sweet tangy flavor; great for raw applications, think salsa where you want flavor with not too much heat. In the early stages of growth, when they are lime green they can add a cool freshness; ripening up to a deep red is when their full flavor comes forth. A few farmers in the area are growing these little gems, so explore some of the area farmers markets.

We are on the cusp of tomato season, here is a list of 17 heirloom tomatoes you should look for at your farmer’s market.

1. Brandywine: A wildly popular heirloom, there’s nothing subtle about the Brandywine’s taste –it explodes with flavor, literally assaulting your senses with every bite, and has a depth of flavor that truly matches its century-long heritage.
2. Cherokee Purple: This variety is said to be more than 100 years old, originally grown by the Cherokee Indians. The flavor is sweet and rich, a close second to the Brandywine.
3. Black Krim: Comparable in flavor to Brandywine and Cherokee Purple but with earthier overtones.
4. German Red Strawberry: You’ll understand this name when you see the tomato, as it looks remarkably like a strawberry. The aroma is enchanting, and the exquisitely rich, complex flavor develops on the palate with undertones of slight sweetness that linger.
5. Riesentraub: An heirloom cherry tomato, the Riesentraub has an unexpectedly rich flavor comparable to a beefsteak variety. The name means “giant bunch of grapes” in German. If made into wine, it has a delicious, pale sherry flavor. This tomato plant also has beautiful blossoms that can be used in floral displays.
6. Druzba: The flavor of the Druzba is authoritative but balanced, just superb. It also has a well-balanced blend of juice and meat.
7. Green Zebra: Visually, it’s hard to beat the green zebra with its green and gold striped skin. It’s on the tart-and-tangy end of the tomato spectrum with a sweet
   finish.
8. Garden Peach: A small, yellow tomato, the Garden Peach has a sweet, mild flavor and beautiful flesh.
9. Soldacki: Tangy and sweet, this heirloom holds on to its complex flavor from start to finish. There is also a nice balance of flesh to juice.
10. Rose De Berne: Superior medium-sized tomato that delivers the robust flavor of the bigger types. It has a rich sweetness the others can’t match.
11. Eva’s Purple Ball: The taste is lauded by all as being sweet, luscious, and quiet juicy.
12. Goldie: Impressive with a rich flavor and extraordinary velvety texture.
13. Zapotec Pleated: Rare, traditional variety from the Zapotec people of southern Mexico. Rich, earthy flavor. Excellent stuffed, baked, or sliced.
14. Gold Medal: Excellent sweet, mild flavor in this beefsteak variety.
15. German Johnson: Known for its meaty fruits; mild but with more than a touch of sweetness.
16. Aunt Gerdie’s Gold: Outstanding flavor – rich but not overly sweet or juicy.
17. Aunt Ruby’s German Green: Unique spicy-sweet, rich flavor.

Here is a brief list of just some of the crops produced in
Wisconsin…

-Wisconsin’s fertile upland soils are well suited for alfalfa production,
helping to feed our 1.25 million dairy cows.

- Wisconsin leads the nation in production of snap beans,
cranberries, and ginseng.

-Each year, Wisconsin growers harvest more than 1.8 million
Christmas trees

- Central Wisconsin is famous for vegetable production, making us
second in sweet corn and carrot processing, and third in production of potatoes
& green peas for processing.

- Wisconsin chicken farms produce 1.2 billion eggs and 51 million
broilers (meat chickens) each year.

-State mink producers produce 910,000 pelts each year – first in
the nation.

-Wisconsin is known nationally for their dairy products. Dairy
products account for 46% of all agricultural sales statewide.

-Wisconsin fish farmers produce 480,000 pounds of trout – mostly
for restaurants – every year.

-Wisconsin ranks #1 in dairy goats with 40,000 head.

-There are 211 plants manufacturing one or more dairy products
including 9 butter, 127 cheese and 22 ice cream plants!

-Over 99% of Wisconsin’s farms are family-owned.

- More than 353,991 Wisconsin citizens, 10% of our workforce, rely
directly on agriculture for their jobs.

A recipe idea perhaps? Try a cucumber gazpacho with buttermilk and chili sorbet. Great for hot and humid Wisconsin summers. Enjoy!

 
For cooking, first trim the stem then blanch the fiddlehead
in heavily salted water and refresh in ice water. From this state they can be
sautéed or roasted. Another way is to pickle and serve as a garnish in a
springtime Bloody Mary.

Happy hunting in the backyard!

Ramp salt is very easy to make, just a dehydrator, salt and
some time. I like to dehydrate the entire ramp, separating the bulb and leaf. The
bulb provides the majority of the flavor while the leaves provide a nice
speckled color to the salt. You can use sea salt if you want to impress your
friends or kosher salt (large crystals) if you want to impress your pocket
book.

Ramps are a type of wild-growing onion generally
presented fresh with the green leaves, a purple stem attached to a small white bulb. Harvesting typically begins in late April to early May and lasts around 3
to 4 weeks. Ramps are loved or hated for their powerful onion/garlic aroma. The larger the plant the more pronounced the flavor. I usually pick them around the 6 to 8 inch height.

To clean, trim off the roots and remover the papery wrapper around the bulb as you would with scallions. Rinse in cold water to remove any dirt. Once trimmed and cleaned the entire plant is tender and ready for eating. Ramps can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week; wrapped in a damp paper towel inside a plastic bag to keep them from drying
out.

Depending on the application, the ramp can be separated into the three components. The bulb, stem and leave; each lending a different texture to the finished recipe. Ramps are very versatile; they can be eaten raw in a salad, sautéed in a vegetable medley, dried into salt and preserved into a jam.

Below is a recipe combining another spring favorite the morel in a gnocchi dish that can be a side dish or a simple main dish for a chilly spring evening after a day of foraging.

Ricotta Gnocchi with Morels, Ramps and Pancetta

Serves 4

Gnocchi:

16-ounces whole-milk ricotta

1 large egg

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 – 1 cup flour

Set a strainer lined with a coffee filter over a bowl. Add the ricotta
and let the cheese drain for 4 hours or overnight.

In a large bowl, mix the strained ricotta, egg, cheese, and 3/4 cup of
the flour until all ingredients are incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for 15
minutes. Before shaping, put a large pot of water on the stove to bring to a
boil. Sprinkle a baking sheet with flour and set it close to your work space.
Sprinkle your hands and work surface with a little flour. Break off a
tennis-ball sized piece of the dough and roll it into a thick log about
3/4-inch thick.
Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the log into 3/4″ pieces.
You can leave them as little ‘pillows’ or shape them into the traditional
grooved gnocchi by rolling them off the back of a fork with your thumb.
Transfer this batch to the baking sheet and toss with flour to prevent sticking.
Repeat rolling process with the remaining dough. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to
the water and half of the gnocchi. Gently stir the gnocchi to make sure they
don’t stick. Once they bob to the surface, let them cook an additional 2
minutes. Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander set
over a bowl to finish draining.

2 ounces pancetta, diced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

4 ounces morels, cleaned

4 ounces ramps, cleaned

Salt and pepper

Heat large sauté pan over medium heat, add pancetta and cook until most fat is rendered
and slightly crispy. Remove pancetta, leaving fat behind. Add garlic and ramps,
cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add morels and cook until tender. Add gnocchi and heat
through, add ramp leaves and crispy pancetta, season with salt and pepper;
serve.