And here we are in April, the perfect time to enjoy this spring field salad. Nature blooms in all its splendour — it’s wonderful to go for a walk and gather the season’s produce.
A simple yet rich salad of flowers and vegetables, colorful and flavorful.
For this salad I used raperonzoli. Here in Veneto we call them rampussoli and they are highly prized. They bring me back to my childhood when my father found them at the market and brought home this little salad with a root green that resembles lamb’s lettuce. The Raperonzolo (also called raponzolo or pampussolo) is not very well known, but it has many enthusiasts.
As I said, the rampussolo grows along the edges of country lanes; in winter its white little root digs deep into the soil and it can often be difficult to harvest.
I also picked bruscandoli, which are hop shoots.
Here are a few other recipes:
Rampussolo, raperonzolo on black rice polenta
Risotto with bruscandoli (hop shoots)
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 bunch agretti (monk's beard)
- 1 bunch bruscandoli (hop shoots)
- 1.8 oz raperonzoli (rapunzel greens, about 1 cup)
- 6 radishes
- 1.8 oz cherry tomatoes (about 1/2 cup)
- 1.8 oz mixed salad greens (about 2 cups)
- 10 violet flowers
- 10 daisy flowers
- 5 dandelion flowers
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 3.5 oz vegan ricotta (about 1/3 cup)
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 pinch smoked paprika
Steps
Wash all the vegetables, slice the cherry tomatoes and radishes. Remove and separate the larger tufts of raperonzoli and agretti. Trim and use only the tender tips of the bruscandoli (hop shoots).
Spread the mixed greens on plates and then add the rest of the ingredients. Finish by adding the flowers and dandelion petals.
Dress with an emulsion of olive oil, pepper, salt and lemon.
Prepare the cream separately. Blend the vegan ricotta with water, turmeric, a pinch of salt and lemon.
Dust with smoked paprika and serve.
Tips for Spring Field Salad
You can vary your wild herbs depending on the season; also check out this other flower and herb salad that is more summery.
Gather early-season greens in the countryside away from polluted areas. Use flowers and herbs as soon as possible while they are fresh and crisp.
