PHOTO: TOMB OF CYRUS THE GREAT -- FOUNDER OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE (550 BC)

"......FIRSTHAND OBSERVATIONS OF XENOPHON IN THE ANABASIS AND THE EDUCATION OF CYRUS.....CYRUS THE GREAT HAD A CONNOISSEUR'S SENSIBILITY ABOUT WINE. WHENEVER HE DISCOVERED A PARTICULARLY FINE WINE, HE WOULD DRINK ONLY HALF OF WHAT HE HAD BEEN SERVED -- PROBABLY AS MUCH AS 3 LITERS.....AND WOULD SEND THE OTHER HALF TO A FRIEND, WITH A NOTE: 'FOR SOME TIME, CYRUS HAS NOT FOUND A MORE PLEASANT WINE THAN THIS; AND HE THEREFORE SENDS SOME TO YOU, BEGGING YOU TO DRINK IT TODAY WITH THOSE WHOM YOU LOVE BEST.'"

FROM "ANCIENT WINE: THE SEARCH FOR THE ORIGINS OF VINICULTURE", BY PATRICK E. McGOVERN

A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, RANA WAS WASHING DISHES AND QUINN WAS PULLING HER PATENTED MOVE OF TRYING TO SQEEZE BETWEEN RANA'S LEGS AND THE CABINET BELOW THE SINK; ALL THE WHILE WHINING IN AN ATTEMPT TO CHISEL RANA INTO PROVIDING HER UNDIVIDED ATTENTION. SO RANA SAID SOMETHING TO QUINN ALONG THE LINES OF, "NOW THAT'S ENOUGH OF THAT WHINE......LET MOMMY FINISH THE DISHES"........ACCORDING TO RANA, THE INSTANT QUINN HEARD THE WORD "WHINE" SHE SHUFFLED OFF TO THE DOORWAY BETWEEN OUR KITCHEN AND LIVING ROOM AND POINTED INTENTLY AT MY WINERACK.

THAT'S MY GIRL.

SHOWN AT LEFT IS THE TERMINAL RACHIS OF THE PLANT CALLED TEOSINTE (OF THE GENUS ZEA), OR "MOTHER OF CORN", BY THE NAHUATL INDIANS.

TEOSINTE IS SUSPECTED TO BE THE ANCESTOR OF MODERN CORN AND THEORETICALLY CAME UPON ITS ALTERED FORM SOME THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO THROUGH SUDDEN AND DRASTIC MUTATIONS IN THE WILD, WHICH HAD THE FORTUNATE EFFECT OF CATCHING THE HUMAN EYE. CORN IN THIS MUTATED/DOMESTICATED STATE HAS LITTLE OF THE EQUIPMENT NECESSARY FOR SUSTAINED FERAL EXISTENCE WHICH MAKES ITS FOOD-BASED RELATIONSHIP WITH HUMANS ESSENTIAL TO ITS SURVIVAL. OVER ONE FOURTH OF THE APPROXIMATE FORTY-FIVE THOUSAND FOOD ITEMS IN THE AVERAGE GROCERY STORE CONTAIN CORN OR CORN DERIVATIVES, AS DO MANY OF THE NON FOOD ITEMS AS WELL. EVIDENTLY THE LIVES OF CORN AND HUMANS INTERTWINE THROUGH MULTIPLE CHANNELS OF OUR DAY TO DAY.

SOURCE: "OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA", BY MICHAEL POLLAN (THANKS JUSTIN)

YEAH................THE RAMPS KEEP COMIN.

THIS IS A SIMPLE DISH WE MAKE SEMI REGULARLY BUT TONIGHT IT INCLUDED THE ADDITION OF SOME WILTED RAMP GREENS.

TOSSED WITH A POUND OF PASTA IS A VINAIGRETTE CONSISTING OF THE FOLLOWING:

1/4 CUP QUALITY BALSAMIC VINEGAR

1/3 CUP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

2 TABLESPOONS DIJON MUSTARD

2 TO 3 GENEROUS TABLESPOONS PESTO

1 TO 2 TABLESPOONS HONEY

1 1/2 TEASPOONS SEA SALT

1 TEASPOON GROUND PEPPER

1 SMALL TO MEDIUM GARLIC CLOVE FINELY MINCED

1/4 TEASPOON CAYENNE PEPPER

THIS CONCOCTION ALONE IS A FINE DRESSING FOR THE PASTA BUT THE OPTIONS ARE MANY FOR ADDING ADDITIONAL ITEMS IN VARIOUS COMBINATIONS: i.e. SLICED STEAK, CHOPPED FRESH TOMATOES, CHOPPED SCALLIONS, RAMP GREENS, ARUGULA, CHICKEN, SHRIMP, ETC.

1. OLD PAL -- NICKY H
2. PAN CON TOMATE AND FRESH RAMP, BELL PEPPER AND LEMON GREMOLATA
3. SEARED SUSHI GRADE GARGANTUAN SCALLOPS WITH RAMP GREENS WILTED IN WHITE WINE AND A TOUCH OF THAI CHILI SAUCE
4. ROASTED WEST COAST KUMAMATO OYSTERS -- COOKED RARE
5. EDAMAME
6. WINE VESSEL -- COTE DU VENTOUX
7. CORNMEAL DUSTED SOFT SHELL CRAB WITH THAI CHILI SPICED MAYONAISE
8. COLOSSAL GULF SHRIMP SEARED IN THE SHELL -- SALT, PEPPER, LEMON, CAPERS
9. FRESH SEARED SARDINES -- SALT, PEPPER, PAPRIKA, LEMON
10. SASHIMI OF KAMPACHI (HAWAIIAN YELLOWTAIL) -- SEA SALT, LEMON
    

RAMPS HIT THE TABLE

IT WAS JUST ME AND THE GIRL AROUND THE HOUSE TODAY. RANA WAS OFF TO A BABY SHOWER AND SO Q AND I HAD SOME ADVENTURES TO ATTEND TO. CALLED MY PAL MITCH TO SEE IF HE WANTED TO STOP IN FOR COFFEE AND A HIKE AND SO HE DID AND ALONG WITH HIM CAME SIX FRESHLY CAUGHT TROUT. WE SET OURSELVES UP ON THE BACK PATIO AND QUINN AND I WATCHED AS MITCH SET INTO CLEANING AND FILETING HIS CATCH. HE DID A FINE JOB AND VERY GENEROUSLY OFFERED UP HALF OF THE FILETS FROM THE SWIMMERS.

AFTER SOME CLEANUP AND A CUP OF COFFEE THE THREE OF US HEADED INTO THE WOODS TO GO VISIT THE NEIGHBOR'S HORSES AND TO STROLL THROUGH THE CLEARING TO THE POND. AS SOON AS WE ENTERED THE WOODS WE CAME UPON A THRIVING LITTLE STAND OF FRESH TENDER RAMPS. I SQUEALED AND EXCLAIMED AND PROCEEDED TO FILL MITCH IN ON THE NATURE OF OUR FIND. WE COMMITTED TO FORAGING AFTER OUR HIKE IN ORDER TO INTRODUCE THE WILD LEEKS TO THE LOCAL TROUT. IT WAS A FINE DAY FOR A HIKE -- WE DRIFTED AROUND THE CLEARING, CIRCLED THE POND, FED GRASS TO COWBOY THE MULE AND STROLLED BACK TO THE HOMESTEAD.

UPON OUR RETURN WE GATHERED UP A TROWEL AND RANA AND WE ALL LUMBERED DOWN THE HILL TO MY OWN RAMP PATCH AND DUG A BUNCH FOR OUR DINNER AND A BUNCH FOR MITCH TO TAKE FOR HIS. MITCH TOOK HIS LEAVE AND WITH Q UNDER FOOT, I GOT DOWN TO BUSINESS. I MADE A BASMATI RICE PILAF WITH RAMPS, CARROTS AND PEAS. ATOP THE PILAF I POSITIONED THE PAN GRILLED TROUT FILETS WHICH HAD BEEN DUSTED WITH SALT, PEPPER AND CORNMEAL. FOR A VEGETABLE I ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH GARLIC GREY SALT AND PEPPER AND A SQUEEZE OF FRESH LEMON. THE TROUT WAS SPARKLING FRESH AND DELICATE AND THE RAMPS CAME THROUGH JUST RIGHT IN THE PILAF -- EARTHY AND UNIQUE. RANA AND I AGREED THAT THE ONLY FLAW IN OUR MEAL WAS THAT THE ASPARAGUS WAS NOT FROM OUR OWN GARDEN. NEXT YEAR THAT SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM.

FOR AN ACCOMPANIMENT I OPENED A BOTTLE OF 2005 SELAKS MARLBOROUGH NEW ZEALAND SAUVIGNON BLANC. IT WAS LIGHT AND BOYANT AND PERFECT FOR THE MEAL. CITRUS NOTES OF LEMON AND GRAPEFRUIT AND MINERAL CRISPNESS.

RAMPS

LAST SPRING I DISCOVERED A PATCH OF WILD RAMPS IN THE WOODS BEHIND MY HOUSE. THIS WAS AFTER FORAGING LARGE QUANTITIES OF RAMPS DISCOVERED GROWING IN THE LOW LYING AREAS BETWEEN THE RARITAN CANAL AND THE RARITAN RIVER IN CENTRAL JERSEY. SOON AFTER THAT DISCOVERY I HAD ALSO FOUND A RAMP COATED HILLSIDE IN A PARK THREE MILES EAST OF SCHOOLEY'S MOUNTAIN. BUT TO FIND THEM ON MY OWN PROPERTY WAS SUPREMELY SATISFYING. I HAD NEVER HAD RAMPS BEFORE BUT I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THEIR REPUTATION AND HAVE NOTICED THEM BEGINNING TO APPEAR ON SOME MENUS AND IN THE OCCASSIONAL CULINARY WRITING.

I COOKED WITH MY BACKYARD RAMPS A COUPLE TIMES LAST SPRING AND ONCE WITH SOME MORELS ALSO FORAGED ON THE PROPERTY. IF THE MOREL CROP THIS YEAR IS MORE LIKE WHAT IT WAS IN YEARS PRIOR TO LAST, THEN I'M JUST GONNA HAVE TO GET DOWN. THE COMPATABILITY OF RAMPS AND MORELS IS SPECTACULAR. I FIND GREAT MEANING IN THEIR SEASONAL PROXIMITY AND SHARED CULINARY POWER.

IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO FURTHER DWELL ON THE COMPARISON BETWEEN THE PLEASURES OF GROWING FOOD VERSUS FORAGING FOR FOOD. THEY ARE BOTH SUPREMELY SATISFYING ACTIVITIES BUT SOME OF THE HUMANISTIC IMPLICATIONS WOULD OBVIOUSLY DIFFER. AS IN ALL THINGS HUMAN, I ASSUME THAT IT COMES DOWN TO ART.