parsnip fritters with wild ramp pesto

What with what? I know, not your most conventional meal. This meal was inspired by both a friend’s cooking adventures and a trip to the farmer’s market. Let me just start by saying I don’t make fritters often enough. They’re so easy to make, and I’ve long been incorrect in assuming that fritters were best when made with potatoes. There are so many directions you can go with this.

Anyway, my friend was recently telling me that one of her favorite easy, home-cooked meals was zucchini fritters (YUM). All you do is grate the zucchini, combine it with some flour, egg, and spices, and plop them onto a frying pan. With that incredible-sounding meal in the back of my mind, I took a trip to the farmer’s market and saw a large table filled with freshly dug parsnips. An idea began to form…parsnip fritters!

now, let's talk about ramps

I was still at the farmer’s market, completely overwhelmed by the amount of fresh produce, but very excited to dig in to it all. One thing I love to do at the market is go in blindly, stock up on whatever looks the best, and then go home to concoct a meal out of my treasures.

Recently, I feel like I’ve been hearing all this and that about ramps as being a major food fad. Top chefs are using them at popular restaurants, and they’ve nabbed the feature recipe spot in multiple food magazines. I was slightly confused as to what all the fuss was about until I went to look for ramps at the grocery store and came up empty handed. They’re so difficult to find unless you forage them yourself or you order the swordfish at a Daniel Boulud restaurant.

So you can imagine my elation when I saw them looking all wild and dirty at the farmer’s market. I scooped them up immediately.

What exactly are ramps, you ask? Ramps are a type of Allium, that grow in the wild and are available for just a few weeks in the spring. They have small white bulbs and large, flat green leaves (all of which are edible), and taste like a garlic-onion combination. There are plenty of ways you can eat ramps, so I recommend stocking on as many as you can while they last. They’re delicious chopped up in a salad, or sautéed in olive oil and paired with fresh fish.

I’ve been on a pesto craze recently, so I decided to use my sought-after bunch of ramps to make the potent green sauce. Be warned—ramp pesto greatly differs from pesto you may be used to. Instead of the herbal flavor that basil pesto exudes, ramp pesto is extremely pungent. A little bit goes a long way!

it takes more than just parsnips and ramps

While those are the two ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe, there are a few other staples you’ll have to have on hand.

Scallions These give the fritters a little extra flavor without being too overwhelmingly strong along with the ramp pesto

Parsley Add some herby greenery to the fritters

Eggs and flour These two ingredients will help bind the fritters together

Garlic Depending on how garlicky you like your pesto, use more or less here. Remember, the ramps already have a garlicky flavor on their own!

Pine nuts A staple in pesto-making, you can sub another type of nut if you wish

Pecorino Use a sharp cheese for the pesto. Parmesan works as well

Lemon juice Please add to the pesto for a citrus boost

Extra-virgin olive oil Once you’ve processed all the pesto ingredients, add a generous amount of EVOO

I hope you enjoy! Hot tip: maybe don’t make this on a first date. But if you do, have some breath mints on hand

⟶ the recipe

parsnip fritters with wild ramp pesto

ingredients

3 large parsnips, peeled and grated

¼ cup scallions, chopped

2 tablespoons parsley, minced

2 large eggs

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

For the pesto

1 bunch of wild ramps with leaves attached, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

3 tablespoons pecorino cheese, grated

1 tablespoon lemon juice

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch of salt and pepper

Prep time

30 minutes

Cook time

15 minutes

Total time

45 minutes

Makes 8-10 fritters and 1/2 cup of pesto

instructions

Prepare the pesto by adding the ramps, garlic, pine nuts, cheese, and lemon juice to a food processor. Pulse until combined, and then slowly add in the olive oil. Season with salt to taste, and set aside.

Prepare the fritters by combining the parsnips, scallions, parsley, eggs, flour, and salt in a large bowl. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet, and heat on medium.

Once the oil is sizzling, form parsnip mixture into patties about two inches in diameter and place on the skillet about four at a time depending on the size of your pan (don’t overcrowd).

Fry the fritters for about three minutes, and then quickly flip each to the other side. Cook for another few minutes, until both sides are golden brown. Transfer fritters to a plate lined with a paper towel, and repeat with the rest of the mixture.

Once the fritters are finished, transfer to plates and top with the ramp pesto.

⟶ recipe notes

Grating parsnips can be a pain, but I recommend a box grater for ease of use. Just watch your knuckles when you get to the ends!

⟶ modifications

You can always modify pesto by subbing another type of nut (like hazelnuts or almonds) for the pine nuts
If the flavor of parsnips is a little too much for you, you can use half parsnip and half grated potatoes for the fritters. The flavor will be a bit more subdued but still delicious

⟶ make it ahead and store it

You can make the pesto ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use. You also probably won’t use all the pesto at once (unless you’re feeling cheeky), so I recommend storing it and using it for something else later in the week, like pasta or a pizza base
The pesto will keep in the fridge for about a week