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1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
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2
Snap off the ends of the asparagus (they will break naturally where their toughness begins), and peel the stalks.
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3
Clean the ramps and prepare the ramps according to the method described on page 33.
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4
Blanch the asparagus in heavily salted boiling water about 5 minutes, until tender.
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5
To test for doneness, take a spear out of the water, cut a small piece off the end, and taste it.
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6
(Remember, the spears will continue to cook a little as they cool.)
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7
Carefully remove the asparagus to a baking sheet to cool.
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8
If the morels are large, cut them in half.
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9
Heat a large saute pan over high heat for 2 minutes.
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10
(If you dont have a pan thats large enough to hold all of the vegetables, heat two pans and divide ingredients accordingly.)
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11
Add 4 tablespoons butter to the pan, and when it foams, scatter the morels into the pan, being careful not to overcrowd them.
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12
Saute the mushrooms 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often.
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13
Turn down the heat to medium, and add the thyme, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and a few grindings of pepper.
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14
Let the mushrooms cook another 6 to 8 minutes.
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15
They should be crispy on the outside, yet still tender.
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16
(The amount of cooking time really depends on the mushrooms; sometimes they give off water, which will require a longer cooking time, to allow the water to evaporate and the morels to crisp.)
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17
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the mushrooms, and place the blanched asparagus carefully in the pan.
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18
Toss to coat the asparagus in all the mushroomy brown butter, and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes.
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19
Add the ramps to the pan, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook another 2 minutes, tossing often so all the flavors meld and everything is coated in the butter.
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20
Taste for seasoning.
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21
Spoon the polenta onto a large warm platter.
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22
Using tongs, arrange the asparagus and ramps, randomly overlapping them over the polenta.
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23
Spoon the morels and all the butter over the top, and scatter the parsley over everything.
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24
In a heavy-bottomed pot, bring 5 1/2 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil over high heat.
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25
Add the polenta slowly, whisking continuously.
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26
Turn the heat down to low, and continue cooking for another 20 minutes, whisking often.
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27
Add another 1/2 cup water and cook 1 more hour, whisking often and adding 1/2 cup water as needed, about every 20 minutes.
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28
The flame should be low, so that the polenta is barely simmering.
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29
As you whisk, make sure that you reach the bottom of the pan to prevent the polenta from scorching.
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30
I like to use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot.
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31
Whisk in the butter, and taste for seasoning.
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32
Even when the polenta is finished, you might sense it thickening up a little.
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33
If so, add a little more water and whisk to get the right consistency.
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34
If youre not serving right away, cover the pan with plastic wrap to keep the polenta from thickening or losing moisture.
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35
If necessary, rewarm over low heat before serving.
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36
You can blanch the asparagus and ramps a few hours ahead.
